Children displaced adults in the workforce, accepting lower wages and working longer, harder hours. Many employers stated that child labor was not harmful for the children, but instead instilled them with good work ethic and kept them out of trouble. Children were killed by exhaustion, poor health, or because of accidents with the dangerous machinery they worked with. Many people fought to gain equality and respect in the workforce for these exploited children. .
The conditions of factories in which children were forced to work were very poor. The machinery was massive and extremely dangerous. Many children came into contact with harsh chemicals that poisoned their skin and body. Children died from poor building conditions, excessive beatings, exhaustion, and other dangers present in the factories. Today, in the United States, businesses, stores, and factories must meet health and cleanliness requirements to avoid being shutdown. Also, there are several restrictions placed upon the ages at which children may work, the minimum pay all people must receive, and the amount of hours one is allowed to work. Overall, the conditions of child labor have improved, but some countries must still work to abolish child labor and put into use fair wages and hours in order to assist them in growing into a developed country.
Poverty is considered to be the top reason children are put to work at inappropriate jobs for their ages. They work to provide for their families, and although they are not well paid, many serve as major contributors to the family income. Children are also put to work because of family expectations and traditions, lack of schools and day care, and the public, which believes hard labor does not harm the child, but instead allows them to grasp a sense of responsibility and work ethic. The conditions of child labor are horrible. Children toil for long hours at difficult tasks, working with heavy-duty machinery.