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Mortality, fertility, and child labor

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  • Chakraborty, Shankha
  • Das, Mausumi

Abstract

We discuss how child labor problems may persist in developing countries when adult mortality risks are endogenous. Children provide current consumption through child labor and future consumption via an informal social security arrangement. Poorer parents, unable to invest much in their health, face greater mortality risks and are inclined to send their children to work instead of investing in their human capital. Endogenous fertility decisions exacerbate the problem as parents substitute toward quantity investment in children.
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  • Chakraborty, Shankha & Das, Mausumi, 2005. "Mortality, fertility, and child labor," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 273-278, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:86:y:2005:i:2:p:273-278
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    1. Kaushik Basu, 1999. "Child Labor: Cause, Consequence, and Cure, with Remarks on International Labor Standards," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(3), pages 1083-1119, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kitaura, Koji & Ogawa, Hikaru & Yakita, Sayaka, 2011. "Multiple equilibria arising from donor’s aid policy in economic development," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 819-827.
    2. Kitaura, Koji, 2009. "Child labor, education aid, and economic growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 614-620, December.
    3. Wang, Ruixin, 2015. "Essays on development economics and public economics," Other publications TiSEM e1779514-5b71-4726-925b-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Carmen Camacho & Fernanda Estevan, 2023. "Intergeneration Human Capital Transmission and Poverty Traps," Working Papers halshs-04075431, HAL.
    5. Jayanta Sarkar & Dipanwita Sarkar, 2016. "Why Does Child Labor Persist With Declining Poverty?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(1), pages 139-158, January.
    6. Brezis, Elise S. & Ferreira, Rodolphe Dos Santos, 2016. "Endogenous Fertility With A Sibship Size Effect," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(8), pages 2046-2066, December.
    7. Jocelyn E. Finlay, 2006. "Endogenous Longevity and Economic Growth," PGDA Working Papers 0706, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.
    8. Haruyama, Tetsugen & Park, Hyun, 2017. "A simple dynastic economy with parental time investment in children’s patience," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 235-247.
    9. Hung-Ju Chen, 2010. "Life expectancy, fertility, and educational investment," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(1), pages 37-56, January.
    10. Akira Yakita, 2020. "Fertility decisions of families in an intergenerational exchange model," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1447-1462, November.
    11. Aso, Hiroki, 2020. "Endogenous lifetime, intergenerational mobility and economic development," MPRA Paper 99582, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Elise S. Brezis & Rodolphe Dos Santos Ferreira, 2012. "Endogenous Fertility and Intergenerational Transfers: The Significance of the Sibship Size Effect," Working Papers 2012-14, Bar-Ilan University, Department of Economics.
    13. Christopher GRIGORIOU & Grégoire ROTA-GRAZIOSI, 2005. "Why do Education Expenditures Fail to Reduce Child Labor? Looking for an Optimal Composition of the Social Expenditures," Working Papers 200517, CERDI.
    14. Bruhns, Ramona, 2006. "The Long-run Effects of HIV/AIDS in Kenya," MPRA Paper 952, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Han Phoumin, 2008. "Human Capital and Hours Worked of Children in Cambodia: Empirical Evidence for Policy Implications," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 25-46, March.
    16. Veronica Amarante & Rodrigo Arim & Gioia de Melo & Andrea Vigorito, 2010. "Family Allowances and Child School Attendance: An ex-ante Evaluation of Alternative Schemes in Uruguay," Working Papers PMMA 2010-07, PEP-PMMA.
    17. Fioroni, Tamara, 2014. "Health and Child Labour," MPRA Paper 58789, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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