Child labor and the parents’ status of employment

Vol. 28 No. 2 (2008)

Apr-Jun / 2008
Published April 1, 2008
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))

How to Cite

Cacciamali, Maria Cristina, and Fábio Tatei. 2008. “Child Labor and the parents’ Status of Employment”. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy 28 (2):269-90. https://centrodeeconomiapolitica.org.br/repojs/index.php/journal/article/view/528.

Child labor and the parents’ status of employment

Maria Cristina Cacciamali
Professora Titular da Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade e Presidente do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Integração da América Latina da Universidade de São Paulo
Fábio Tatei
Bacharel em Economia pela FEA-USP
Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 28 No. 2 (2008), Apr-Jun / 2008, Pages 269-290

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to verify the hypothesis of the effect of the status of employment of the head of the family on the occurrence of child labor, as well as to analyze other characteristics which can influence such behavior. A probit model was used to realize the statistical tests. The results ratify the hypothesis proposed that the families whose head works as an independent worker show higher probability for the occurrence of child labor than those whose head works as a formal salaried worker. Among other results, it must be highlighted, making simulations, that increasing parents’ schooling is more efficient than augmenting income to reduce the use of child labor. These results endorse the proposition that the status of employment should be used, complementing the criteria of income per capita, to families in the cash transfers programmes or others to eradicate child labor.

JEL Classification: J13; J22; J44.


Keywords: child labor human rights at work child labor in the informal sector eradication of child labor labor public policies labor market