In a provocative new study appearing in the July issue of the Journal of Labor Economics, economists Elias Dinopoulous (University of Florida) and Laixun Zhao (Kobe University) formally analyze the effects of globalization on child labor. The authors find that emigration of unskilled adult workers from poor countries to rich countries increases the incidence of child labor.

The organizing committee of next year's Olympics in Beijing says it is investigating allegations that some official merchandise for the games was made abusing workers and using child labor. An official of the committee said in Hong Kong that companies found to be violating labor rules would lose their contracts.