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Improving educational and labor outcomes through child labor regulation

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  • Del Rey, Elena
  • Jimenez-Martin, Sergi
  • Vall Castello, Judit

Abstract

We explore the effects of a child labor regulation that changed the statutory minimum working age in Spain in 1980. In particular, the reform raised the minimum working age from 14 to 16, while the age for compulsory education remained at 14 until 1990. To study the effects of this change on the incentives to work or study, we consider the different alternatives available at age 14 to individuals born at various times of the year before and after the reform. Before the reform, individuals born at the beginning of the year were legally able to work before finishing compulsory education. We show that individuals born at the beginning of the year were more likely to complete both compulsory and post-compulsory education if they turned 14 after the reform. The increase in educational attainment translates into better labor market outcomes in adulthood only partially. Depending on the level of socioeconomic development of the region, we provide evidence of differential impacts of the reform on men and women and offer plausible explanations for these differences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that, apart from increases in educational attainment, also finds relevant effects on long-term labor market outcomes from child labor regulations that forbid teenager work. We show that this type of regulation can be a generator of economic development and point to the conditions required for this to be the case.

Suggested Citation

  • Del Rey, Elena & Jimenez-Martin, Sergi & Vall Castello, Judit, 2018. "Improving educational and labor outcomes through child labor regulation," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 51-66.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:66:y:2018:i:c:p:51-66
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.07.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Cristina Belles-Obrero & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2019. "Education and Gender Differences in Mortality Rates," Working Papers 2019-05, FEDEA.
    2. Jorge González Chapela & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2023. "Education and internal migration: evidence from a child labor reform in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 143-164, June.
    3. Laia Bosque-Mercader, 2022. "The Effect of a Universal Preschool Programme on Long-Term Health Outcomes: Evidence from Spain," Working Papers 2022-07, FEDEA.
    4. Bosque-Mercader, L.;, 2022. "The Effect of a Universal Preschool Programme on Long-Term Health Outcomes: Evidence from Spain," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 22/06, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    5. Bellés-Obrero, Cristina & Cabrales, Antonio & Jiménez-Martín, Sergi & Vall-Castelló, Judit, 2023. "Women’s education, fertility and children’ health during a gender equalization process: Evidence from a child labor reform in Spain," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Cristina Bellés-Obrero & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2022. "Minimum working age and the gender mortality gap," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1897-1938, October.
    7. Amiya Bhatia & Maryam Parvez & Jodie Pearlman & Fred Kasalirwe & Ligia Kiss & Agnes Kyamulabi & Eddy J. Walakira & Karen Devries & Clare Tanton, 2022. "The Epidemiology of Young People’s Work and Experiences of Violence in Nine Countries: Evidence from the Violence against Children Surveys," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Kozhaya, Mireille & Martínez Flores, Fernanda, 2022. "Child Labor Bans, Employment, and School Attendance: Evidence from Changes in the Minimum Working Age," IZA Discussion Papers 15144, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Cristina Belles-Obrero & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2019. "Education and Gender Differences in Mortality Rates," Studies on the Spanish Economy 2019-05, FEDEA.
    10. Kozhaya, Mireille & Martinez Flores, Fernanda, 2022. "Child labor bans, employment, and school attendance: Evidence from changes in the minimum working age," Ruhr Economic Papers 942, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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