Statistical Analysis of Risk Factors for International Forced Labor and Child Labor
David J. Corliss, PhD | September 20 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Child labor and forced labor are subject to widespread international sanctions, leading perpetrators to hide the sources of these goods. As a result, some honest and ethical companies may unknowingly purchase goods produced by exploited labor. The U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs has published a list of goods by country produced by child labor for forced labor. In this Matched Case Control Study, individual countries with the most goods from trafficked labor are each matched to the most similar country where goods from child and forced labor are relatively rare. Economic, government, social, education, and other data are mined to find consistent differences between high- and low-prevalence countries. The objective of the study is to identify risk factors for child and forced labor to support further investigation and identification of perpetrators and as an aid to companies seeking to avoid inadvertent purchase of goods produced in this way. In this analysis, leading risk factors are found to center around economic disadvantages for the families of the victims, including unemployment and economic opportunity, unavailability of credit, government corruption, poor education, and social and political upheaval. Supported by this analysis, conference attendees will be able to identify countries and goods where child and forced labor is hidden in supply chains and help avoid them, target their own efforts towards these areas, and promote use of the list as a tool for addressing exploited labor in supply chains.
Presentation Objectives:
• Describe the list of goods by country produced by child labor for forced labor created by the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs and how it can be used to better understand child and forced labor
• Provide details of how a Matched Case Control study is conducted and applications in human trafficking research
• Identify and explain prominent risk factors for child labor and forced labor