[Linkpost] “In Defense of ‘Sweatshops’” by Vasco Grilo🔸

This is a link post.

This is a crosspost for In Defense of "Sweatshops" by Benjamin Powell, which was originally published on Econlib on 2 June 2008. For the full treatment, see Benjamin's book Out of Poverty: Sweatshops in the Global Economy (Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society).

“Because sweatshops are better than the available alternatives, any reforms aimed at improving the lives of workers in sweatshops must not jeopardize the jobs that they already have.”

I do not want to work in a third world “sweatshop.” If you are reading this on a computer, chances are you don’t either. Sweatshops have deplorable working conditions and extremely low pay—compared to the alternative employment available to me and probably you. That is why we choose not to work in sweatshops. All too often the fact that we have better alternatives leads first world activists to conclude that there must be [...]

---

Outline:

(02:43) What are the Alternatives to Sweatshops?

(06:34) What Determines Wages and Compensation?

(14:09) Conclusion

The original text contained 10 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

---

First published:
June 18th, 2025

Source:
https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/8HYP9m6BjZ9oxpNR7/in-defense-of-sweatshops

Linkpost URL:
https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2008/Powellsweatshops.html

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

---