Economics of Sex Work and Policy Considerations

The literature on the economics of sex work has grown tremendously over the last 15 years. Enough valuable theoretical and empirical contributions have been made related to the organization of this labor market in both low- and high-income countries meriting a thorough summary of the literature. This chapter reviews the work primarily from the lens of economics and public policy. The discussion arranges this literature into three areas: different ways to regulate the sex market and how different types of regulations impact public health, violence against women, and other outcomes of interest to society; the internet and technologies used to arrange modern sex markets; and sex trafficking and recommendations for future research.