File(s) under permanent embargo
Papers, please! The effect of birth registration on child labor and education in early 20th century USA
A birth certificate establishes a child's legal identity and age, but few quantitative estimates of the significance of birth registration exist. Birth registration laws were enacted by U.S. states in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Using 1910–1930 census data, this study finds that minimum working age legislation was twice as effective in reducing under-aged employment if children had been born with a birth registration law, with positive implications for school attendance. There is some evidence that registration laws also improved the enforcement of schooling laws for younger children. A retrospective analysis with the 1960 census shows that the long-term effect of registration laws was to increase educational attainment by approximately 0.1 years.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Explorations in Economic HistoryISSN
0014-4983Publisher
Explorations in Economic HistoryExternal DOI
Volume
52Page range
63-92Department affiliated with
- Economics Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-11-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2021-03-04Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC