Migrants, Experience, and Working Conditions in Bangladeshi Garment Factories

Working conditions in many large factories in low income countries are difficult, and many workers are internal migrants from rural areas. We examine the relationship between workers’ migration status and their labor market outcomes, using a household survey of garment workers in Bangladesh. Migrants are in firms with higher wages but worse working conditions, but as their careers progress, they have higher mobility than locals as they move towards firms with better conditions. These facts are consistent with a model in which migrants are poorly informed about working conditions upon beginning work but learn more as they gain experience in the industry