The child labor evidence review examines the existing causal evidence on child labor and child work targeted for elimination. Child labor refers to the engagement of children in prohibited work. While the definition of child labor is guided by International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and resolutions, there is no single definition across nations. Moreover, definitions may change over time, and the terminology and concepts used to categorize child labor (and to distinguish from working children) may be inconsistent in published studies and research reports. CLEAR acknowledges differing definitions of child labor by country but does not validate the definition of child labor or assess the validity of authors’ constructs within individual studies for the country in which the program or intervention being examined occurs. For each study in the review, CLEAR assesses the quality of the causal evidence and summarizes its approach, findings, and the intervention examined.
Child Labor
Status: Literature reviewed in this topic area currently covers 2006 - 2018.
Synthesis Reports
Synthesis reports look at the research evidence across studies within a topic area. They also highlight gaps in the literature, and suggest areas in which further research is needed.
Recently Added
CLEAR searches the existing literature for research relevant to this topic area's focus. Browse the most recently reviewed research below.
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to assess the impact of a monthly cash transfer program on household food consumption, resources, and work, including child labor. The study used survey data from a…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the conditional cash transfer program, Familias en Acción, on children’s work and school participation in Columbia. The study used a…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of Subsidios Condicionados a la Asistencia Escolar, a conditional cash transfer program (CCT), on school participation and child labor. This summary…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The objective of the study was to examine the impact of the Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program on child labor in Brazil. The study used a nonexperimental design to compare labor…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of a conditional cash transfer on school enrollment and child labor. The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in in low-income villages…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of Nicaragua’s Red de Proteccion Social (RPS) conditional cash transfer (CCT) program on attending school, working, and hours worked for children…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The objective of the study was to examine the impact of the Philippines conditional cash transfer program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), on child labor and school attendance. The…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The objective of the study was to examine the impact of Mexico’s conditional cash transfer program (PROGRESA/Oportunidades) on child labor and school attendance for children ages 8 to 17 across 3…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of two components of the DESTINO program—CEC (a tutoring course) and EPA (an alternative primary school program)—on children’s participation in…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The objective of the study was to assess the impact of Kenya’s Cash Transfer to the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) program on children’s participation in work and school. The study used a…
CLEAR Icon Key
Below is a key for icons used to indicate important details about a study, such as its type, evidence rating, and outcome findings.
High Causal Evidence
Strong evidence the effects are caused by the examined intervention.
Moderate Causal Evidence
Evidence that the effects are caused to some degree by the examined intervention.
Low Causal Evidence
Little evidence that the effects are caused by the examined intervention.
Causal Impact Analysis
Uses quantitative methods to assess the effectiveness of a program, policy, or intervention.
Descriptive Analysis
Describes a program, policy, or intervention using qualitative or quantitative methods.
Implementation Analysis
Examines the implementation of a program, policy, or intervention.
Favorable
The study found at least one favorable impact in the outcome domain, and no unfavorable impacts.
Mixed
The study found some favorable and some unfavorable impacts in the outcome domain.
None
The study found no statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain.
Unfavorable
The study found at least one unfavorable impact in the outcome domain, and no favorable impacts.
Not applicable
Not applicable because no outcomes were examined in the outcome domain.
Favorable - low evidence
The study found at least one favorable impact in the outcome domain, and no unfavorable impacts. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Mixed - low evidence
The study found some favorable and some unfavorable impacts in the outcome domain. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
None - low evidence
The study found no statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Unfavorable - low evidence
The study found at least one unfavorable impact in the outcome domain, and no favorable impacts. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.