Migrants, experience, and working conditions in Bangladeshi garment factories

Laura Boudreau, Rachel Heath and Tyler H. McCormick

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2024, vol. 219, issue C, 196-213

Abstract: Working conditions in many large factories in low income countries are difficult, and many workers are internal migrants from rural areas. We examine the relationship between workers' migration status and their labor market outcomes, using a household survey of garment workers in Bangladesh. Migrants are in firms with higher wages but worse working conditions, but as their careers progress, they have higher mobility than locals as they move towards firms with better conditions. These facts are consistent with a model in which migrants are poorly informed about working conditions upon beginning work but learn more as they gain experience in the industry.

Keywords: Migration; Imperfect information; Labor; Turnover; Working conditions; Safety; Garment industry; Bangladesh (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 J31 J32 O12 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:219:y:2024:i:c:p:196-213

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2023.02.013

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