Sector-Specific Variations in the Effect of Trade on Child Labor

This paper examines how child labor rates within three broadly defined sectors (agriculture, manufacturing and services) are individually impacted by each sector's export activity. I utilize newly available survey data which quantify sector-level child labor activities. I do not find evidence supporting the assertion that greater sector exports are correlated with higher incidences of child labor. To the contrary, evidence suggests that higher sector exports are correlated with fewer children working within that sector, particularly in manufacturing. Thus the argument that high-export sectors will have higher child labor is unfounded.