Household Schooling and Child Labor Decisions in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Using empirical methods, this paper examines household schooling and child labor decisions in rural Bangladesh. The results suggest the following: poverty and low parental education are associated with lower schooling and greater child labor; asset-owning households are more likely to have children combine child labor with schooling; households choose the same activity for all children within the household, regardless of gender; there is a weak association between direct costs and household decisions; finally, higher child wages encourage households to practice child labor.

Keywords: Child labor, education, demography, economic development, Bangladesh

JEL Classification: C35, D19, I29, J13