The fast-food industry is fueling a surge in child labor violations across the United States, especially at companies with franchised locationssuch as McDonald’s, Sonic and Chick-fil-A, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal data.

Since the widespread labor shortages of the pandemic, fast-food companies have illegally scheduled thousands of teenagers to work late and long hours and to operate dangerous kitchen equipment, The Post found. In some cases, companies have hired children 13 or younger — violating 1930s-era laws designedto protect their safety and educational opportunities.Federal law prohibits 14- and 15-year-olds from working past 7 p.m. and more than three hours on school nights.

Overall, child labor violations have more than tripled in the past 10 years, with violations in food service increasing almost sixfold, according to The Post’s analysis of U.S. Labor Department data. In the first nine months of 2023, agency officials found more than 4,700 teenagers under 18 working in violation […]