INTRODUCTION
Each year, thousands of young people temporarily migrate to Australia to 'work and travel', contributing over $3.2 billion annually to the country's economy. They provide essential labor in agriculture, hospitality, and tourism, particularly in remote areas. Despite this, many face exploitative working conditions such as underpayment, long hours, and unsafe workplaces. Those with limited English skills, financial resources, or knowledge of their rights are most vulnerable to such conditions. In other migrant populations, information campaigns are a common policy approach to addressing similar issues, aiming to raise awareness and empower migrants to seek fair conditions. However, causal evidence regarding their effectiveness remains limited.
PURPOSE
This study rigorously evaluates an information campaign among 'backpackers' working in Australia, using a longitudinal randomized controlled trial. The goal is to identify how improved knowledge about workplace rights affects employment decisions over time, including quitting, staying, or reporting poor conditions.
METHOD
To test this, half of our 739 participants (the 'treatment group') received tailored information about their rights at the start of the study. One and two months later, all participants completed detailed questionnaires on working conditions, job changes, well-being, and awareness of rights. To ensure accessibility, all materials were provided in English as well as Chinese, French, and German as the main languages spoken by non-English-speaking backpackers. This allowed for a more diverse sample and inclusion of participants with limited English proficiency.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Consistent with earlier research, we find that limited awareness of rights, poor English skills, and financial insecurity are linked to worse employment conditions. Our study boosted awareness of working rights - interestingly, this effect extended to the control group. Over time, increased knowledge was with slight improvements in working conditions. However, dependency on employers and structural vulnerabilities limited the overall impact, suggesting that information alone is insufficient.