What is forced labor?
Q: What is forced labor?
A: Forced labor is any work or service a person is forced to do against their will, usually with the threat of some form of punishment.
Q: Who defines forced labor?
A: The International Labour Organization (ILO) has defined forced labor in the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29).
Q: Are there any exceptions to this definition?
A: Exceptions include work done while serving in a military organization, community service when the work serves the community, and anyone convicted and serving a prison sentence. Convict labor must be supervised by public officials and not private individuals, companies or organizations.
Q: How many people are living as slaves today?
A: There are over 29 million people living as slaves today.
Q: How many slaves are estimated to be living in the United States?
A: There are an estimated 60,000 slaves living in the United States. This includes prostitutes and sex workers, illegal immigrants and those held in debt bondage.
Q: What types of activities does slavery include?
A: Slavery includes all forms of slavery and related practices including debt slavery, serfdom, human trafficking and labor camps.
