115M children toil in hazardous jobs: UN

The Associated Press

Posted: Jun 10, 2011 9:58 AM ET

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2011 11:46 AM ET

A UN report says 115 million worldwide work in hazardous jobs. Anupam Nath/Associated Press

United Nations labour officials say 115 million children worldwide are working in hazardous jobs with the brunt of the hardship being felt by teenage boys.

The International Labor Organization reported Friday that more than half the world's 215 million child labourers are working in dangerous jobs in fields like agriculture, mining and construction.

The head of ILO's program to eliminate child labour said the number aged 15 to 17 rose by 20 per cent in the latest figures with boys most susceptible because of recent international attention to the plight of young girls, though there was an overall decline among children aged 5 to 17.

Stay Connected with CBC News

Big Box Advertisement

Top News Headlines

51 dead after tornado levels Oklahoma suburbs

51 dead after tornado levels Oklahoma suburbs: A monstrous tornado almost a kilometre wide roared through Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighbourhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 322 km/h. At least 51 people were killed, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise. more »

NDP wants RCMP inquiry into $90K payment to Duffy: The NDP has asked the RCMP to launch an investigation into the $90,000 payment from the prime minister's former top aide, Nigel Wright, to Senator Mike Duffy in relation to the Senate expense scandal. more »
Will alleged Rob Ford video overshadow Toronto casino debate?: A debate about a proposed downtown casino is supposed to take centre stage at Toronto City Hall on Tuesday, but it seems a safe bet that a still-unseen video of Mayor Rob Ford will continue to be a topic of conversation. more »
Canadian on EI shut out amid foreign worker influx: A jobless Canadian IT professional who is collecting employment insurance is upset because he now suspects several recent jobs he applied for went to temporary foreign workers. more »
Unknown remains found on Dellen Millard's farm: Police searching the farm of Dellen Millard, the 27-year-old charged with first-degree murder after the remains of Ancaster, Ont., man Tim Bosma were discovered, have found other remains on the property, but it's unclear if they are human or animal. more »

Must Watch

Latest World News Headlines

51 dead after tornado levels Oklahoma suburbs: A monstrous tornado almost a kilometre wide roared through Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighbourhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 322 km/h. At least 51 people were killed, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise. more »

North Korea fires weapons after 'rocket launching tests': North Korea continued firing short-range weapons over its own eastern waters today after a weekend of what it called "rocket launching tests" intended to bolster deterrence against enemy attack. South Korean officials were investigating exactly what the North was testing. more »
Yahoo buys Tumblr blogging site for $1.1B: Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an internet icon that had fallen behind the times. more »
D-Day beaches wind turbine proposal seeks Canadian comments: Canadians are being given the opportunity to voice their opinions on a plan to build 75 wind turbines off the D-Day beaches in France. more »
Nahlah Ayed: Vote-wary Iranians mull Ahmadinejad's successor: Iranians go to the polls in less than four weeks to choose a new president. The reform movement is still smarting from its bitter defeat four years ago, but the jockeying for power is no less intense, Nahlah Ayed reports. more »

More Headlines »

The National

The Current

PM's chief of staff resigns as Senate expense scandal unfolds May. 20, 2013 7:47 PM After a week of political turmoil over the Senate expense scandal, the Prime Minister's chief of staff Nigel Wright has resigned. But questions about the $90,000 cheque he cut for Senator Mike Duffy continue to swirl.