Productivity gains and work conditions in coercive labor markets: Experimental evidence from the Bangladesh brick sector

Productivity growth in competitive labor markets can improve worker welfare over time through higher wages or better conditions, but it is unclear if productivity gains benefit workers in coercive labor markets (where force or threats shape employment). We examine this issue in the Bangladesh brick sector using a randomized trial that introduced a more efficient production method. Despite large productivity improvements, we find no reduction in (high) rates of labor trafficking or child labor. These findings suggest that in the short-term, productivity growth alone may be insufficient to improve work conditions in coercive settings.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2528388123
Primary Topic
Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Productivity gains and work conditions in coercive labor markets: Experimental evidence from the Bangladesh brick sector

Stephen P. Luby, Shoeb Ahmed, Grant Miller, Mohammad Rofi Uddin et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
article

Productivity gains and work conditions in coercive labor markets: Experimental evidence from the Bangladesh brick sector

Stephen P. Luby, Shoeb Ahmed, Grant Miller, Mohammad Rofi Uddin, Moogdho Mahzab, Sania Ashraf, Nina Brooks, Sameer Maithel, Aprajit Mahajan, Debashish Biswas, Kimberly Singer Babiarz, Mahbubur Rahman, J. Brunner, Jack Shane, Alvise Scarabosio
article en

Abstract

Productivity growth in competitive labor markets can improve worker welfare over time through higher wages or better conditions, but it is unclear if productivity gains benefit workers in coercive labor markets (where force or threats shape employment). We examine this issue in the Bangladesh brick sector using a randomized trial that introduced a more efficient production method. Despite large productivity improvements, we find no reduction in (high) rates of labor trafficking or child labor. These findings suggest that in the short-term, productivity growth alone may be insufficient to improve work conditions in coercive settings.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 123(29)
Uppsala University (SE), National Bureau of Economic Research (US), Economic Policy Institute (US), International Food Policy Research Institute (US), The University of Western Australia (AU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BD), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (BD), University of Michigan (US), Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (US), Green Solution (Czechia) (CZ), Stanford University (US)
Decent work and economic growth
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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