Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-fwgfc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-13T02:45:30.288Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Child labour in Pakistan: Addressing supply and demand side labour market dynamics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Ambreen Fatima
Ambreen Fatima*
Affiliation:
University of Karachi, Pakistan
*
Fatima Ambreen, Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Sindh, Pakistan. Email: amber@aerc.edu.pk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article uses empirical evidence, based on labour market indicators, to analyse the factors influencing the incidence of child labour in Pakistan, from both supply and demand sides. The level of demand for child labour is shown to be linked mainly to adult wage levels, the adult unemployment rate in an area, and the size of the informal and agriculture sectors. The supply of child labour is seen to be positively linked to the proportion of adult unemployment in the household. Unlike previous studies, the article analyses both demand and supply side factors in a context of poverty and takes account of the co-existence of formal and informal labour markets. Furthermore, to generalise the issue for a longer span of time (which previous studies fail to do), it adopts the methodology of a pseudo-panel approach based on that proposed by Deaton. This approach makes it possible to pinpoint more accurately the factors, and their interaction, that need to be considered in any effective policy approach to the issue of child labour. To prevent unintended consequences, a multi-faceted development approach is required.

Keywords

F16I30J13J22O10Child labourinformal sectorpseudo-panel data analysisunemployment ratewage levels
Type
Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 28 , Issue 2: Industry policies, financialisation and globalisation , June 2017 , pp. 294 - 311
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ali, K, Khan, REA (2004) Simultaneous decision making of child schooling and child labour in Pakistani urban households. The Lahore Journal of Economics 9(1): 127–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Basu, K, Van, PH (1998) The economics of child labour. The American Economic Review 88(3): 412–427.Google Scholar
Bhalotra, S (2004) Parent altruism, cash transfers and child poverty. Paper presented at AEA/ASSA meetings, Atlanta, GA, January (Working paper 04/562). Bristol: Department of Economics, University of Bristol.Google Scholar
Bhalotra, S (2007) Is child work necessary. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 69(1): 29–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhalotra, S, Heady, C (2003) Child farm labour: the wealth paradox. World Bank Economic Review 17(2): 197–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burki, AA (1989) Urban informal sector in Pakistan: some selected issues. The Pakistan Development Review 28(4): 911–924. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/6407196.pdf Google Scholar
Cain, M, Mozumder, A (1980) Labour market structure, child employment, and reproductive behaviour in rural South Asia. Population and labour policies programme working paper no. 89, June. Geneva: International Labour Office.Google Scholar
Chaudhuri, S (2009) Labour market reform and incidence of child labour in a developing economy. MPRA (Munich Personal RePec Archive) paper no. 19667, Munich. Available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/19667/1/MPRA_paper_19667.pdf (accessed 30 December 2016).Google Scholar
Deaton, A (1985) Panel data from time series of cross-sections. Journal of Econometrics 30(1–2): 109–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwibedi, JK, Chaudhuri, S (2010) Foreign capital, return to education and child labour. International Review of Economics & Finance 19(2): 278–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galli, R (2001) The economic impact of child labour. International institute for labour studies discussion papers series no. 128. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—inst/documents/publication/wcms_193680.pdf (accessed 30 December 2016).Google Scholar
Ghayur, S (1996) Labour market issues in Pakistan: unemployment, working conditions, and child labour. The Pakistan Development Review 35(4): 789–803.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hai, AA, Fatima, A, Sadaqat, M (2010) A case study for the fishing sector on Balochistan coast. International Journal of Social Economics 37(4): 316–338.Google Scholar
Hazarika, G, Bedi, AS (2003) Schooling cost and Child Work in Rural Pakistan. The Journal of Development Studies 39(5): 29–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hou, X (2009) Wealth: crucial but not sufficient evidence from Pakistan on economic growth, child labour and schooling. Policy research working paper no. 4831. Washington, DC: The World Bank.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hussain, A (1998) Child workers in hazardous industries in Pakistan. The Lahore Journal of Economics 2(2): 59–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hussmanns, R (2003) Statistical definition of informal employment: guidelines endorsed. In: Proceedings of the seventeenth international conference of labour statisticians, Geneva: International Labour Organisation. Available at: http://ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/download/papers/def.pdf (accessed 2 January).Google Scholar
International Labour Organisation/International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour-Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour (ILO/IPEC-SIMPOC) (2007) Towards an internationally accepted statistical definition of child labour: children’s activities and their definitions, Geneva, 18 January. Available at: www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/download.do?type=document&id=7871 (accessed 4 January 2017).Google Scholar
Iram, U, Fatima, A (2008) International trade, foreign direct investment and the phenomenon of child labour: the case of Pakistan. International Journal of Social Economics 35(11): 809–822.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kar, S, Guha-Khasnobis, B (2003) Wage determination of child labour and effect of trade reform. Paper presented at sharing global prosperity conference, Helsinki, 5–7 September. United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER).Google Scholar
Khan, REA (2001) Socioeconomic aspects of child labour: a case study of children in auto workshops. The Lahore Journal of Economics 6(1): 93–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, REA (2003) Children in different activities: child schooling and child labour. Pakistan Development Review 42(2): 137–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moazam, M, Tariq, J, Baig, A (1994) Why children do not go to school in Pakistan: some estimate and a theoretical framework. The Pakistan Development Review 33(4): 1231–1248.Google Scholar
Moffitt, R (1993) Identification and estimation of dynamic models with a time series of repeated cross-sections. Journal of Econometrics 59(1–2): 99–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) (1996) Summary results of child labour survey in Pakistan. Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_436435.pdf (accessed 30 December).Google Scholar
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) (1997–1998, 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2005–2006, 2007–2008 and 2012–2013) Labour Force Surveys, Islamabad, Pakistan. Available at: http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/all-reports-and-publications (from 2001–2002 to 2012–2013) (accessed 30 December 2016).Google Scholar
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) (2007–2008) Labour Force Surveys: Concepts and Definitions. Islamabad, Pakistan: PBS. Available at: http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/Labour%20Force/publications/lfs2007_08/concepts_and_defination.pdf (accessed 30 December 2016).Google Scholar
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) (2008–2009) Section I: methodology. Available at: http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/Labour%20Force/publications/lfs2008_09/methodology.pdf (accessed 1 January 2017).Google Scholar
Ranjan, R (2000) Analysis of child labour in Peru and Pakistan: a comparative study. Journal of Population Economics 13(1): 3–19.Google Scholar
Ranjan, R (2001) Simultaneous analysis of child labour and child schooling: Comparative evidence from Nepal and Pakistan, Schools of Economics, University of Tasmania, Australia: Available at: http://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/208265/2001-04.pdf (accessed 31 December 2016).Google Scholar
Toor, IA (2005) Child labour’s link with literacy and poverty in Pakistan. The Lahore Journal of Economics 10(1): 15–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verbeek, M, Nijman, T (1993) Minimum MSE estimation of a regression model with fixed effects from a series of cross-sections. Journal of Econometrics 59(1–2): 125–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verbeek, M, Vella, F (2005) Estimating dynamic models from repeated cross-sections. Journal of Econometrics 127(1): 83–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar