What industries are at risk for forced labor?

Dressember Reading Day #19

Every day during the month of December, we’re answering common questions and breaking down different aspects of human trafficking on our blog and Instagram. Join us in raising awareness about the injustice of human trafficking by sharing, donating, or joining the Dressember campaign (it’s not too late!).

According to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, the majority of forced labor cases came from the following sectors: domestic work (24 percent), construction (18 percent), manufacturing (15 percent), and agriculture (11 percent).

In today’s Dressember reading, we dig deeper into each of the four main sectors at risk for forced labor activity.

Let’s start with the largest sector: domestic work.

Domestic workers serve in private households performing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and caring for children. They may live inside or outside the household(s) in which they work. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently 67 million domestic workers worldwide—80 percent of them are women. Domestic servants often work excessive hours, receive inadequate compensation, and are often, at risk for physical, mental, or sexual abuse.

What about the construction sector?

Our homes, offices, and other infrastructure may be tied to forced labor worldwide. Global and local policies are struggling to keep up with the rapid growth of the construction sector. 7 percent of the global workforce works in construction, according to a report titled “Hidden in Plain Site: Modern Slavery in the Construction Industry.” The industry is at high risk for forced labor due to its high demand for low-skilled, manual, low-waged work; its long, complex supply chains also make it difficult to track where labor is sourced.

How about manufacturing?

According to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, many workers coerced into dangerous manufacturing jobs also work long hours with high production targets and are at risk of physical abuse or illegal imprisonment. In the manufacturing sector, pressure has increased on companies to source minerals and other materials that do not come from zones of conflict where forced labor may have been imposed by rebel groups.

Okay. How is forced labor prevalent in the agricultural sector?

Laborers and child workers in the cotton, tobacco, coffee, and cocoa industries—to name a few—work long hours in hazardous conditions to harvest products people use almost every day. They are also exposed to dangerous pesticides that can lead to illness and long-term complications. When prices for products rise, children are often pulled from school to work in order to earn extra income for their families.

Are these the only sectors at risk for forced labor?

No. Human trafficking is not limited to four main economic sectors. Individuals can be forced into unfair, unprotected labor in any economic sector.

What can I do?

Many of us reading this are either workers or consumers, which means that we have a bigger say than we think when it comes to economic sectors. If you work in any of the sectors listed above, don’t be afraid to ask questions about where the labor is coming from to produce the products and infrastructure for your company. Through your support of Dressember, you’re supporting our partnership with Anti-Slavery International that works to help businesses erase forced labor from their supply chain. Finally, as consumers of agriculture products, we can campaign for fair food and encourage our superstores to sign on to the Fair Food program.