After a few days of food poisoning, I’m sort of functional again, and noticing this:
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a measure this week loosening child labor protections in the state.
Under the law, the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, children under 16 do not have to obtain permission from the Division of Labor to get a job. They will no longer need to get an employment certificate, which verified their age, described their work and work schedule, and included written consent from a parent or guardian. Sanders signed the bill into law on Tuesday.
Alexa Henning, Sanders’ communication director, said that the permit requirement had placed an “arbitrary burden on parents” who needed government permission for their child to get a job. [NBC News]
Given the recent reports of labor shortages, I suppose this was inevitable. But will those labor shortages override concerns about robots taking away our jobs?
