Andrew Leigh reflects on the economics of sex workers:
Economists have proposed two theories for why prostitutes (at least, those not working the street) earn such high wages. Clearly, part of the answer is that these earnings are a form of ‘hazard pay’, akin to that received by coal miners, window cleaners and motorcycle couriers. Another more controversial explanation is that prostitutes’ high pay is effectively a form of compensation for the fact that current or former prostitutes have more difficulty finding a marriage partner. Intriguing as it is, the marriage hypothesis is not yet compelling, since the evidence shows that many women combine prostitution and marriage.
Click here to read my previous post, ‘The Inconsistent Logic Behind Criminalizing Prostitution.’
