TY  - JOUR
AU  - Doepke,Matthias
AU  - Krueger,Dirk
TI  - Origins and Consequences of Child Labor Restrictions: A Macroeconomic Perspective
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 12665
PY  - 2006
Y2  - November 2006
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12665
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12665.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Matthias Doepke
Northwestern University
Department of Economics
2001 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
Tel: 847-491-8207
E-Mail: doepke@northwestern.edu

Dirk Krueger
Department of Economics
University of Pennsylvania
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 215/898-6691
Fax: 215/573-2057
E-Mail: dkrueger@econ.upenn.edu
AB  - In this paper we investigate the positive and normative consequences of child-labor restrictions for economic aggregates and welfare. We argue that even though the laissez-faire equilibrium may be inefficient, there are usually better policies to cure these inefficiencies than the imposition of a child-labor ban. Given this finding, we investigate the potential political-economic reasons behind the emergence and persistence of child-labor legislation. Our investigation is based on a structural dynamic general equilibrium model that provides a coherent and uniform framework for our analysis.
ER  -