Explaining variation in child labor statistics

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. www.econstor.eu Child labor statistics are critical for assessing the extent and nature of child labor activities in developing countries. In practice, widespread variation exists in how child labor is measured. Questionnaire modules vary across countries and within countries over time along several dimensions, including respondent type and the structure of the questionnaire. Little is known about the effect of these differences on child labor statistics. This paper presents the results from a randomized survey experiment in Tanzania focusing on two survey aspects: different questionnaire design to classify children work and proxy response versus self-reporting. Use of a short module compared with a more detailed questionnaire has a statistically significant effect, especially on child labor force participation rates, and, to a lesser extent, on working hours. Proxy reports do not differ significantly from a child's self-report. Further analysis demonstrates that survey design choices affect the coefficient estimates of some determinants of child labor in a child labor supply equation. The results suggest that low-cost changes to questionnaire design to clarify the concept of work for respondents can improve the data collected. Terms of use: Documents in D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E SJEL Classification: J21, C81, C93

Child Labor Variation by Type of Respondent: Evidence from a Large-Scale Study

“…The most relevant study for us is Dillon et al (2012), which addresses measurement error in child labor statistics based on a field experiment involving 566 children aged 10 to 15 in Tanzania. By comparing short questionnaires with detailed questionnaires and child-based responses with proxy-based responses, the authors find that short questionnaires yield statistically significant lower incidence of child labor relative to detailed questionnaires, but they find no significant differences between child-based and proxy-based responses.…”

“…This data allows us to generate national statistics of child labor by both proxy and child's 10 self-report. In contrast, Dillon et al (2012) study uses an experimental design that targets 7 of the 129 districts in Tanzania. This sampling framework allows the authors to minimize the role of unobserved characteristics when estimating the effects of survey design on child labor measures.…”

“…Dillon et al (2012) randomly select the proxy respondents among all household members of at least 15 years old. As a result, parents of the child make up 67 percent of the proxy respondents, while other relatives account for 33 percent.…”

“…Although child labor measures vary by a child's age or differences between market and domestic work, there is considerable unexplained inconsistency in child labor statistics between and within countries (Guarcello et al 2010). Related to our paper, the study by Dillon et al (2012) addresses measurement error in child labor statistics based on a randomized survey experiment of 566 children aged 10 to 15 in seven districts across Tanzania. The main findings show that survey design matters for the measurement of child labor.…”

Evasion of Children in Ivory Coast Artisanal Mining Activities

“…According to the UNICEF statistics in 2011, at least 150 million children had been found in child labor. All those children from developing countries are aged between 5 to 14 years old (McAdam, M., 2013;Dillon et al, 2012).…”