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Child labor and risks to migrant workers have surged faster in the U.S. over the past two years than in any other nation, raising new reputational and sustainable procurement concerns for companies operating in or sourcing from the country.
“The findings show that those that successfully make it into the country are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, which has the potential to taint supply chains for consumer goods,” says Dr James Sinclair, director of human rights at Verisk Maplecroft.
Key Takeaways:
- Data from Verisk Maplecroft’s Child Labour Index shows that the U.S. has seen the largest increase in risk for the issue globally since 2022. Its performance has also significantly deteriorated on the risk intelligence company’s Migrant Workers Index, which measures risks to migrant workers’ rights in 198 countries – only Morocco registered a larger decline in its score.
- The findings coincide with a sharp rise in the number of migrants entering the US. At least 2.4m people – including around 140,000 unaccompanied children – attempted to cross the southern US border in 2023 alone. Migration into the US is being driven by a number of factors, including economic instability, violence and the rising impacts of climate change in places like Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti.
