Thursday, September 22, 2005
[IWS] ILO: Forced Labour & Human Trafficking: Estimating the Profits [March 2005, online September 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Office (ILO)
Working Paper
Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
DECLARATION/WP/42/2005
Forced Labour and Human Trafficking: Estimating the Profits [March 2005]
by Patrick Belser
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5081
[full-text, 32 pages]
[excerpt]
This Working Paper's objective is to estimate the magnitude of global profits that are being realized
through the exploitation of forced labourers. The paper is thus part of SAP-FL research on the
quantitative and economic dimensions of forced labour and human trafficking. This analysis
complements other research published by SAP-FL, in particular on the economic perspective on human
trafficking in Europe (Working Paper No.31) and on the definition, indicators and measurement of
forced labour (Working Paper No. 18). The calculations in the present analysis also use the result of
another important piece of research, namely the calculation of a minimum estimate of forced labour in
the world. Both the global minimum estimate and some of the figures calculated in this Working Paper
are included in the ILO Director General's 2005 Global Report on forced labour.
The paper's main estimate is that global profits made from forced labourers exploited by private
enterprises or agents reach US$ 44.3 billion every year, of which US$ 31.6 billion from trafficked
victims. The largest profits - more than US$ 15 billion - are made from people trafficked and forced to
work in industrialized countries. These figures show that profits are possibly much larger than has so far
been recognized in the estimates of other national or international organizations. They also support the
view that trafficking thrives because it is lucrative and that policy measures to combat this scourge must
include the confiscation of the financial assets of those involved in trafficking across or within borders.
I thank Mr. Belser for undertaking this experimental assignment and hope that this analysis will be
heard and debated. I also hope that it will help to raise awareness and contribute to mobilize the world
against forced labour and human trafficking.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Office (ILO)
Working Paper
Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
DECLARATION/WP/42/2005
Forced Labour and Human Trafficking: Estimating the Profits [March 2005]
by Patrick Belser
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5081
[full-text, 32 pages]
[excerpt]
This Working Paper's objective is to estimate the magnitude of global profits that are being realized
through the exploitation of forced labourers. The paper is thus part of SAP-FL research on the
quantitative and economic dimensions of forced labour and human trafficking. This analysis
complements other research published by SAP-FL, in particular on the economic perspective on human
trafficking in Europe (Working Paper No.31) and on the definition, indicators and measurement of
forced labour (Working Paper No. 18). The calculations in the present analysis also use the result of
another important piece of research, namely the calculation of a minimum estimate of forced labour in
the world. Both the global minimum estimate and some of the figures calculated in this Working Paper
are included in the ILO Director General's 2005 Global Report on forced labour.
The paper's main estimate is that global profits made from forced labourers exploited by private
enterprises or agents reach US$ 44.3 billion every year, of which US$ 31.6 billion from trafficked
victims. The largest profits - more than US$ 15 billion - are made from people trafficked and forced to
work in industrialized countries. These figures show that profits are possibly much larger than has so far
been recognized in the estimates of other national or international organizations. They also support the
view that trafficking thrives because it is lucrative and that policy measures to combat this scourge must
include the confiscation of the financial assets of those involved in trafficking across or within borders.
I thank Mr. Belser for undertaking this experimental assignment and hope that this analysis will be
heard and debated. I also hope that it will help to raise awareness and contribute to mobilize the world
against forced labour and human trafficking.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 1:43 PM
