The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Prostitution

the long version

Prostitution is one of the least understood occupations but appears to have all the features of traditional markets: prices, supply and demand considerations, variety in the organizational structure, and policy relevance. These are keystones of economics analysis. Greater access to data has enabled economists to build better theories and gain a better understanding of the organization of sex market. The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Prostitution is a comprehensive economic analysis of prostitution. It examines how prostitution markets are organized across space and time, the role of technology in shaping labor supply and demand, the intersection of prostitution with trafficking, and the optimal use of law enforcement. Among the issues addressed are the determination of sex worker prices, sexual assault and sex workers, bargaining, and STD transmission in sex work. What makes the material unique is its explicit focus on economics as the primary methodology for organizing our understanding of prostitution. It sheds light on underground markets, labor economics, risky behaviors, marriage, and gender.