Labor trafficking is a form of human trafficking in which an individual is forced to perform labor or services through the use of force, fraud, and/or coercion. The victim may be forced to work as a domestic servant, on a farm, in the fields, in a factory, etc.
Key Statistics:
- In 2016, the International Labor Organization estimated that there were 24.9 million individuals trapped in labor trafficking.
- As of 2018, the United States Department of Labor has identified 148 goods from 76 countries made with forced or child labor.
TIP Reports:
Each year, the United States Department of State publishes a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report which includes a ranking of governments on their efforts to combat human trafficking.
 2020 TIP Report Click to download |
 2018 North America Profile Click to download |
 2019 TIP Report Click to download |
SIGNS OF LABOR TRAFFICKING
- Have limited freedom of movement.
- Be unaware of where they are or how they got there.
- Be unpaid or paid very little.
- Have no passport or ID or mention that someone else is holding their documents.
- Work very long hours.
- Have limited access to medical care.
- Live in the same place s/he works.
- Have very few possessions.
- Exhibit signs of physical and/or psychological trauma (anxiety, lack of memory of recent events, bruising, untreated conditions, etc).
- Be fearful of the trafficker, believing that their life and/or the lives of family members are at risk if they try to escape.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has provided a human trafficking legislation tracker to stay up to date on legal issues surrounding the topic.
The International Labor Union, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, International Organization for Migration, and UNICEF partnered to publish the report, Ending Child Labour, Forced Labour, and Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains.
The United Nations Human Rights Council's Report on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children identifies key challenges related to long-term social inclusion for trafficking survivors.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released an issue aper on the concept of "exploitation" in the trafficking in persons.
Caring for Trafficked Persons: Guidance for Health Providers gives practical, non-clinical advice to help a concerned health provider understand the phenomenon of human trafficking.
The Department of Homeland Security has released their report, Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, and Child Sexual Exploitation.
The District of Columbia's Office of the Attorney General released a report on illegal worker misclassification and its relationship with payroll fraud.
The Vatican's Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking provides an understanding that motivates and sustains the much-needed long-term struggle against trafficking.
Know the Chain evaluated companies in different sectors on their efforts to address forced labor. Here are the results.
Human Rights Watch reports human rights trends from around the globe.
Polaris released The Latino Face of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in the U.S. in three languages.
The new issue of Anti-Trafficking Review explores assumptions around the technological tools currently available that purport to address trafficking and exploitation.
The Human Trafficking Institute recently released the Federal Human Trafficking Report.
Want to plan an End Human Trafficking event? Unicef has put together a toolkit.
Polaris has released their 2019 Annual Report.
Websites: