Child Labor: The Role of Socioeconomic Development and Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam

Phuong L. Nguyen, University of Minnesota
Quan Le, Seattle University

The objective of this paper is to explore children’s schooling and child labor issues, causes, and possible policy implications for the condition of Vietnam. The main source of data for this analysis is two rounds of the Viet Nam Living Standards Survey (VLSS) 1992-1993 and 1997-1998. Using logistic regression and multinominal logistic regression of child work and schooling, we expect to draw conclusions that schooling status and household wealth are the most important determinants of child labor status. Children with low academic performance are likely to work regardless of their family background and household wealth. Working in agriculture does not affect the likelihood of school enrollment, but it may affect to school outcomes due to high rate of child labor in rural areas. We shall conclude that the socioeconomic development and poverty reduction programs implemented by the Vietnamese government have yielded a positive impact on eradicating child labor.