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Are Employment Protection Laws for Disabled People Effective in a Developing Country?

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Palmer

    (Economics Discipline, Business School, University of Western Australia)

  • Jenny Williams

    (Department of Economics, University of Melbourne)

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of a law protecting the employment rights of disabled people in Cambodia. Similar to studies in high income countries, we find that Cambodia's national disability law did not improve the employment situation of persons with disabilities, and may have worsened it, four years after implementation. The reduction in employment of disabled persons following the laws introduction is larger among employees, females, and in the industrial sector. The most plausible mechanism through which employment is reduced is via lower demand for disabled workers by employers seeking to avoid the cost of workplace accommodations in an environment of monitoring by a non-government organization and where employment quotas for disabled workers are set at non-binding levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Palmer & Jenny Williams, 2020. "Are Employment Protection Laws for Disabled People Effective in a Developing Country?," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 20-22, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:uwa:wpaper:20-22
    Note: MD5 = 483945cb06d32df437fd6ecf608fc7b5
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law
    • K38 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Human Rights Law; Gender Law; Animal Rights Law
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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