This report explains the current U.S. regulations governing child labor; provides a detailed look at youth labor in this country, including how it differs among major demographic groups and economic sectors, and over time; and describes the outcomes of young people's work activities, including occupational injuries and fatalities and other long-term consequences. Chapter 1: "Introduction" (Marilyn Manser) introduces the study and the data set. Chapter 2: "Child Labor Laws and Enforcement" (Art Kerschner, Jr.) addresses the history and current status of federal and state child labor laws and policies and current policy approaches for enforcement. Chapters 3: "A Detailed Look at Employment of Youths Aged 12 to 15" (Donna Rothstein and Diane Herz) and chapter 4: "Trends in Youth Employment: Data from the Current Population Survey" (Diane Herz and Karen Kosanovich) present detailed information on the current situation regarding the employment of youth, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 and the Current Population Survey. The agricultural employment sector receives separate attention in Chapter 5: "Youth Employment in Agriculture" (Ruth Samardick, Susan M. Gabbard, and Melissa A. Lewis) because it has special characteristics and is subject to different regulations. Chapter 6: "Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities" (Anthony Barkume) explores the question of whether youth receive other benefits besides pay from their work experiences and looks at safety and injury reports among young employees. Chapter 7: "The Relationship of Youth Employment to Future Educational Attainment and Labor Market Experience" (Donna Rothstein and Marilyn Manser) presents information from the annual National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 on college attendance and labor market experience of persons while they were aged 18-30, examined separately for individuals categorized by work activity while aged 16-17. Chapter 7 also briefly discusses the literature on educational and labor market outcomes of early work experiences. (KC)