Evaluating the Kuznets curve relationship between economic growth and child labor in an emerging economy

IF 1.9 Q2 ECONOMICS

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS Pub Date : 2024-05-13 DOI:10.1108/ijse-05-2023-0387

Muhammad Zubair Khan, Ismail Khan, Zeeshan Ahmed, Muhammad Sualeh Khattak, Muhammad Asim Afridi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test the Kuznets curve between economic growth and child labor, along with the influence of exports, household size and rural population in the context of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objective, this study applied the unit root test, bound co-integration test, and autoregressive distributive lags (ARDL) method for the period of 1972–2021.

Findings

The findings show an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and child labor indicating that at the beginning stage of economic development, child labor increases due to lower per capita household and subsequently, in the long-run of economic development, child labor decreases due to the higher per capita households. Moreover, the results also show that exports, household size and rural population have a positive influence on increasing child labor.

Research limitations/implications

The policymakers and government of Pakistan need to focus on long-term economic growth policies, ensure free quality education and cheap equipment which practices minimum manpower to reduce the threat of child labor.

Social implications

Having long-run economic growth, the government of Pakistan need to equally benefit the households and the poor population to reduce child labor and enhance the social welfare of society.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the Kuznets curve relationship between economic growth and child labor in the context of Pakistan. Moreover, this study contributes to the reduction in child labor through long-term economic growth in the context of Pakistan.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0387

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评估新兴经济体经济增长与童工之间的库兹涅茨曲线关系

目的本研究旨在检验经济增长与童工之间的库兹涅茨曲线，以及出口、家庭规模和农村人口对巴基斯坦经济增长的影响。研究结果研究结果表明，经济增长与童工之间呈倒 U 型关系，这表明在经济发展的初期阶段，由于家庭人均收入较低，童工人数增加；随后，在经济发展的长期阶段，由于家庭人均收入较高，童工人数减少。此外，研究结果还显示，出口、家庭规模和农村人口对童工的增加有积极影响。研究局限性/意义巴基斯坦的决策者和政府需要关注长期经济增长政策，确保免费的优质教育和廉价设备，以实践最低限度的人力来减少童工的威胁。社会影响在实现长期经济增长的同时，巴基斯坦政府需要平等地惠及家庭和贫困人口，以减少童工现象，提高社会福利。独创性/价值据作者所知，这是第一项以巴基斯坦为背景调查经济增长与童工之间库兹涅茨曲线关系的研究。此外，本研究还有助于在巴基斯坦通过长期经济增长减少童工现象。同行评议本文的同行评议记录可在以下网址查阅：https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2023-0387。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS ECONOMICS-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

5.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Social Economics publishes original and peer-reviewed theoretical and empirical research in the field of social economics. Its focus is on the examination and analysis of the interaction between economic activity, individuals and communities. Social economics focuses on the relationship between social action and economies, and examines how social and ethical norms influence the behaviour of economic agents. It is inescapably normative and focuses on needs, rather than wants or preferences, and considers the wellbeing of individuals in communities: it accepts the possibility of a common good rather than conceiving of communities as merely aggregates of individual preferences and the problems of economics as coordinating those preferences. Therefore, contributions are invited which analyse and discuss well-being, welfare, the nature of the good society, governance and social policy, social and economic justice, social and individual economic motivation, and the associated normative and ethical implications of these as they express themselves in, for example, issues concerning the environment, labour and work, education, the role of families and women, inequality and poverty, health and human development.