Ecuador among the countries with high incidence of child labour

The first figures of the national child labour survey, carried out since November 2012, were presented yesterday; the information gathered results from 20 provinces, and according to the involved authorities the results will intensify efforts to eradicate the work of children in Ecuador.

The figures that manages the Ecuadorian Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), indicate that in Ecuador there are 359.597 children and adolescents between ages 5 to 17, working in the country and this figure is equivalent to 8.56% of the population in that age range.

The executive director of INEC, José Rosero, pointed out that Cotopaxi is the province with a greater record of child labour (25.1%) followed by Bolivar (22.2%) and Chimborazo (21%), while among the provinces with less number of child labor are Manabi (4.4%), Santa Elena (4.9) and El Oro (5%).

The study also revealed that of the total of working children, 75.1% goes to school. Rosero said that 60.4% of the minors who work said they do it to help in their home, while 16.5%, does so because they are not interested in education.

Meanwhile, in Latin America, Ecuador reported fewer cases of child labour than Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Colombia, but more than Uruguay.