Activists are voicing concerns about a new United States government report on human trafficking. The State Department released its 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Thursday. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to reporters at the department’s headquarters. He said human trafficking remains a major problem in some areas of the world. Human trafficking has been described as organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions. The new report explores issues such as the use of modern slavery, child soldiers, and forced marriage. It also describes steps taken by governments around the world to fight trafficking. The State Department and rights groups estimate that the trafficking industry earns about $150 billion dollars a year. They say 20 million people leave their home countries and go overseas to be abused as laborers. The report rates countries, placing each in one of three tiers, or groups, and also to a watch list.