Abstract |
This study considers sibling differences in child labor in Nepal. The data are consistent with a model where parents care equally for all children but siblings differ in comparative advantage in household production, although parental preferences and credit constraints could also be important. Girls, especially older girls, tend to work more than their brothers. This extra work is increasing in the number of younger siblings and the spacing between siblings. The extra work performed by girls is such that at the modal birth spacing, the younger girl actually spends significantly more time working than her older brother. |