Full Citation

Title: The Effect of Municipal Water Filtration on Children’s School Enrollment and Employment in American Cities, 1880–1920

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 2016

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Abstract: I examine the effect of municipal provisions of clean water---installation of water filtration plants---on school enrollment and child labor in American cities from 1880 to 1920. Applying a difference-in-differences strategy which exploits variation of water filtration adoption across time and across cities, I find that municipal water filtration has a positive and statistically significant effect on school enrollment. Also, I find a negative effect on child labor, but it is not significant at conventional levels. These effects are most pronounced at ages 14 and 15, which map into the last years of elementary school and are beyond compulsory schooling age in some states. Additionally, I find that effects are larger for children who are exposed at an earlier age, can legally drop out of school, are from lower socioeconomic status families, or are female.

Url: https://paa.confex.com/paa/2016/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/5567

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Ao, Chon-Kit

Conference Name: PAA 2016

Publisher Location: Washington, D.C.

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other

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