Child labor and coordination failures

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Dessy, SE; Pallage, S
• 署名单位: Laval University; Laval University; University of Quebec; University of Quebec Montreal; University of Quebec; University of Quebec Montreal
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3878(01)00145-6
• 发表日期: 2001
• 页码: 469-476
• 关键词: child labor; Skill-biased technology; welfare; multiple equilibria; COORDINATION

摘要

In this note, we show that a technology-based coordination failure may explain the emergence of laws restricting child labor. Child labor may arise because of the lack of a coordination mechanism between parental decisions to invest in the human capital of their children and firms' decisions to invest in skill-biased technologies. Legislative intervention in many cases helps coordinate expectations towards a Pareto-superior outcome with investments both in human capital and in skill-biased technologies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.