Children aged 10 to 15 Engaged in Gainful Occupations
 
Total Number
Number Employed
Percent Employed
1880
6,649,483
1,118,356
16.8
1890
8,322,373
1,503,77I
18.1
1900
9,613,252
1,750,178
18.2
1910
10,828,365
1,990,225
18.4
1920
12,502,582
1,060,858
   8.5

Source: Israel Herman Gorovitz, "Some Aspects of the Child Labor Problem," The Social Service Review, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Dec., 1928), p. 600. Gorvitz used figures from the U. S. Census Vol. 4 (1920), p. 476

Note –Researchers noted that trend away from child labor after 1910 is more apparent than real since 1910 census was taken during a busy agricultural season and 1920 census was taken in the winter. So the number of child agricultural workers was grossly under reported. In the case of manufacturing jobs, however, the drop was real, especially for children under age 14.


WEB Accessibility