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Sweatshops, Opportunity Costs, and Non-Monetary Compensation: Evidence from El Salvador.

Using evidence from field interviews, this article examines the alternative employment opportunities of thirty-one sweatshop factory workers in El Salvador and their perceptions about what types of non-monetary benefits they receive in their current employment. Interview subjects provide insights in...

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Published in:American Journal of Economics & Sociology Vol. 71; no. 3; pp. 539 - 562
Main Authors: SKARBEK, DAVID, SKARBEK, EMILY, SKARBEK, BRIAN, SKARBEK, ERIN
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Jul2012
Subjects:
El Salvador
Wages
Cost of living
Quality of life
Wages > Psychological aspects
Social history
Sweatshops
Industrial workers
Purchasing power
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Summary:Using evidence from field interviews, this article examines the alternative employment opportunities of thirty-one sweatshop factory workers in El Salvador and their perceptions about what types of non-monetary benefits they receive in their current employment. Interview subjects provide insights into the benefits of their own and peers' employments, their next-best alternative employment, and other aspects of total compensation. We find that workers perceive factory employment to provide more desirable compensation along several margins.