Evolution of child labor rate in Brazilian states: policy limits and contradictions

Abstract This study descriptively explores the evolution of child labor rates in Brazilian states from 2000 to 2014 and indicates specific limits and contradictions of governmental measures adopted for its reduction. On one hand, we examine the coverage of the Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer (PBF), which is a transversal program to reduce poverty. On the other hand, we examine the design of Labor Inspections with a focus on child labor. For this, we used data from the National Household Sample Survey, the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Our analysis showed that the expressive reduction of the child labor rate in Brazil was driven, in particular, by the rural areas of the North and Northeast regions. However, the agricultural sector is still the major employer of child labor. We also found that the distribution of governmental countermeasures are contradictory as to the rate of child labor in the states. Inspection activities are shorthanded in fighting child labor in domestic work and family agriculture as a result of the constitutional apparatus of the inviolability of homes. The PBF conditional cash transfer is also limited in tackling child labor given that poverty level determines eligibility.

摘要：本研究以描述性方法探究2000年至2014年巴西各州童工率的演变轨迹，并剖析了旨在降低童工率的政府举措所存在的特定局限与矛盾。一方面，我们考察了作为减贫跨领域计划的家庭补助金计划（Bolsa Família，PBF）的覆盖范围；另一方面，我们聚焦于针对童工问题的劳动监察制度设计展开分析。本研究的数据来源于全国住户抽样调查（National Household Sample Survey）、社会发展部以及劳动与就业部。分析结果显示，巴西童工率的显著下降主要得益于北部与东北部地区的农村区域。然而，农业部门仍是童工的主要雇佣主体。我们还发现，政府反童工举措的分布与各州童工率的关联存在矛盾之处：由于住宅不可侵犯的宪法制度框架限制，监察活动在打击家政服务与家庭农业领域的童工问题时力量不足；此外，家庭补助金计划在解决童工问题上亦存在局限，因其资格认定以贫困程度为依据，难以针对性地覆盖童工帮扶场景。