U.S. Gives Funds to Fight Child Labor

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department announced $6 million in grants to improve global labor conditions this week. On Thursday, the Labor Department said it will award $4 million in grants to combat child labor in Jordan. The agency is soliciting applications from qualified organizations by Nov. 24 and it will decide how to award the money by the end of the year. The Labor Department said the grant funds are earmarked for organizations focused on providing educational services for children and supporting efforts to address the root causes of the worst forms of child labor in Jordan. Separately, the Labor Department’s International Labor Affairs Bureau said Wednesday that it would infuse the Better Work Nicaragua program with a $2 million grant aimed at improving labor rights in the garment industry in Nicaragua. The Better Work programs are part of a partnership between the International Labor Organization and the International Finance Corp. that works to improve labor conditions in countries all over the world.