By Josh Fording

This summary provides four key considerations for labor trafficking prevention programs, based on findings from previous evaluations of interventions aimed at preventing labor trafficking and other forms of exploitation in low- and middle-income countries. The four considerations are the generally limited impact of awareness-raising interventions, the importance of local context, the time frames during which interventions have an impact, and the possibility that interventions may improve social and economic well-being without measurably reducing labor trafficking.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Tens of millions of people worldwide are victims of labor trafficking, and international organizations and governments around the world invest millions of dollars in labor trafficking interventions. Yet little is known about what works to prevent this form of modern-day slavery. Our findings can aid researchers, policymakers, and service providers in designing more effective labor trafficking prevention programs.

WHAT WE FOUND

Across the evaluations we reviewed, the following four key takeaways emerged:

Interventions that impart knowledge about labor trafficking and its risk factors can be beneficial, but they often are not enough on their own to prevent trafficking.

Contextual factors are key in labor trafficking prevention and should inform program design and implementation.

Some interventions have the strongest impact in the long term, while others have short-term effects that diminish over time.

Interventions may improve important elements of social and economic well-being without leading to measurable reductions in labor trafficking during study periods.

These lessons should inform the design and implementation of future labor trafficking prevention programs.

HOW WE DID IT

We reviewed 18 outcome and impact evaluations of labor trafficking prevention programs and similar programs in low- and middle-income countries. We searched Google Scholar for evaluations of interventions aimed at preventing labor trafficking and other forms of exploitation, like child labor, as well as the most serious risk factors for labor trafficking, particularly unsafe migration. We also consulted previously published reviews of such evaluations.

Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2025. 4p.