The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) works to promote a fair global playing field for workers in the United States and around the world.
Working closely with ILAB, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) supports evidence-building around international labor policies and programs meant to improve labor law compliance, reduce exploitative labor practices such as child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and improve working conditions for workers around the world.
Explore CEO's current studies and completed reports on international labor issues.
Completed Reports
LGBTQI+ Workers in Latin America
(August 2023)
Increasing Economic and Social Empowerment for Adolescent Girls and Vulnerable Women (EMPOWER) in Zambia
(March 2022)
Working Conditions and Health in Central America
(Final Report, June 2021)
Livelihoods Services Evaluation
(June 2019)
Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Livelihoods Services Evaluation
(Final Report, June 2019)
Administrative Data Research and Analysis (ADRA) Project Child Labor Research - Resources for Quantitative Surveys
(November 2018)
Work-Related Violence Research Project: Overview and Survey Module and Focus Group Findings
(Final Report, June 2017)
Strengthening Protections of Internationally Recognized Labor Rights in Colombia Project Evaluation
(November 2016)
Find more research in DOL’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR).
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.