IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ijethy/v15y2019i3p297-309.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A minimum‐wage model of unemployment and growth: The case of a backward‐bending demand curve for labor

Author

Listed:
  • Richard A. Brecher
  • Till Gross

Abstract

We add a minimum wage and hence involuntary unemployment to a conventional two‐sector model of a perfectly competitive economy with optimal saving and endogenous growth. Our resulting model highlights the possible case of a backward‐bending demand curve for labor, along which a hike in the minimum wage might increase total employment. This theoretical possibility complements some controversial empirical studies, in challenging the standard textbook prediction of an inverse relationship between employment and the minimum wage. Our model also implies that a minimum‐wage hike has negative implications for both the growth rate and lifetime utility.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard A. Brecher & Till Gross, 2019. "A minimum‐wage model of unemployment and growth: The case of a backward‐bending demand curve for labor," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 15(3), pages 297-309, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijethy:v:15:y:2019:i:3:p:297-309
    DOI: 10.1111/ijet.12168
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijet.12168
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ijet.12168?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Flinn, Christopher, 2003. "Minimum Wage Effects on Labor Market Outcomes under Search with Bargaining," IZA Discussion Papers 949, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Cahuc, Pierre & Michel, Philippe, 1996. "Minimum wage unemployment and growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1463-1482, August.
    3. Robert J. Barro, 2013. "Inflation and Economic Growth," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 14(1), pages 121-144, May.
    4. David Cass, 1965. "Optimum Growth in an Aggregative Model of Capital Accumulation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 32(3), pages 233-240.
    5. Alan Manning, 1995. "How Do We Know That Real Wages Are Too High?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(4), pages 1111-1125.
    6. Lee, David & Saez, Emmanuel, 2012. "Optimal minimum wage policy in competitive labor markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 739-749.
    7. Daron Acemoglu, 2010. "When Does Labor Scarcity Encourage Innovation?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 118(6), pages 1037-1078.
    8. David Neumark & J.M. Ian Salas & William Wascher, 2013. "Revisiting the Minimum Wage-Employment Debate: Throwing Out the Baby with the Bathwater?," NBER Working Papers 18681, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. John Schmitt, 2013. "Why Does the Minimum Wage Have No Discernible Effect on Employment?," CEPR Reports and Issue Briefs 2013-04, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).
    10. K. J. Arrow, 1971. "The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: F. H. Hahn (ed.), Readings in the Theory of Growth, chapter 11, pages 131-149, Palgrave Macmillan.
    11. Bagicha S. Minhas, 1962. "The Homohypallagic Production Function, Factor-Intensity Reversals, and the Heckscher-Ohlin Theorem," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70, pages 138-138.
    12. Brecher, Richard A., 1974. "Optimal commercial policy for a minimum-wage economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 139-149, May.
    13. Richard A. Brecher & Zhiqi Chen & Zhihao Yu, 2013. "The Trouble with Offshoring: Static and Dynamic Losses in the Presence of Unemployment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 1-11, January.
    14. Xavier Sala-I-Martin, 1997. "Transfers, Social Safety Nets, and Economic Growth," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 44(1), pages 81-102, March.
    15. Christopher J. Flinn, 2006. "Minimum Wage Effects on Labor Market Outcomes under Search, Matching, and Endogenous Contact Rates," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 74(4), pages 1013-1062, July.
    16. T.N. Srinivasan, 1962. "On a Two Sector Model of Growth," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 139R, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sugata Marjit & Shrimoyee Ganguly & Rajat Acharyya, 2021. "Minimum wage, trade and unemployment in general equilibrium," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 17(1), pages 74-87, March.
    2. Richard A. Brecher & Till Gross, 2020. "Unemployment and income‐distribution effects of economic growth: A minimum‐wage analysis with optimal saving," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 16(3), pages 243-259, September.
    3. Richard A. Brecher & Till O. Gross, 2014. "Employment Gains from Minimum-Wage Hikes under Perfect Competition: A Simple General-Equilibrium Analysis," Carleton Economic Papers 14-14, Carleton University, Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lee, David & Saez, Emmanuel, 2012. "Optimal minimum wage policy in competitive labor markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 739-749.
    2. Jonathan Meer & Jeremy West, 2016. "Effects of the Minimum Wage on Employment Dynamics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(2), pages 500-522.
    3. Pierre Cahuc & Guy Laroque, 2014. "Optimal Taxation and Monopsonistic Labor Market: Does Monopsony Justify the Minimum Wage?," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 16(2), pages 259-273, April.
    4. George Economides & Thomas Moutos, 2014. "Minimum Wages as a Redistributive Device in the Long Run," CESifo Working Paper Series 5052, CESifo.
    5. MARTINS, Ana Paula, 2015. "Increasing Returns And Endogenous Growth: Market Size And Taste For Variety," Academica Science Journal, Economica Series, Dimitrie Cantemir University, Faculty of Economical Science, vol. 1(5), pages 3-33, June.
    6. Rensman, Marieke, 1996. "Economic growth and technological change in the long run : a survey of theoretical and empirical literature," Research Report 96C10, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    7. repec:dgr:rugsom:96c10 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Amavilah, Voxi Heinrich, 2014. "Knowledge = Technology + Human Capital and the Lucas and Romer Production Functions," MPRA Paper 58847, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Peter Gripaios & Paul Bishop, 2005. "Spatial inequalities in UK GDP per head: The role of private and public services," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(8), pages 945-958, December.
    10. Antonio Paradiso & Saten Kumar & B. Bhaskara Rao, 2013. "The growth effects of education in Australia," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(27), pages 3843-3852, September.
    11. Alexandros Karakitsios & Manos Matsaganis, 2018. "Minimum Wage Effects on Poverty and Inequality," DEOS Working Papers 1801, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    12. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2016. "Exchange Values of Gold, Land, Physical Capital, and Human Capital in a Neoclassical Growth Model," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 265-286, September.
    13. Hugo Erken & Piet Donselaar & Roy Thurik, 2018. "Total factor productivity and the role of entrepreneurship," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(6), pages 1493-1521, December.
    14. Canton, E.J.F., 1997. "Fiscal Policy in a Stochastic Model of Endogenous Growth," Discussion Paper 1997-63, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    15. Nien-Huei Jiang, 2000. "Information Spillover and Economic Development," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 0030, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    16. Xavier Pautrel, 2001. "Formation dans la production, capital humain, innovation et croissance," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 150(4), pages 171-185.
    17. Roa Maria J & Vazquez Francisco Jose & Saura Dulce, 2008. "Unemployment and Economic Growth Cycles," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, May.
    18. Robert J. Barro, 2003. "Determinants of Economic Growth in a Panel of Countries," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 4(2), pages 231-274, November.
    19. Erwin Ooghe, 2015. "Wage policies, employment, and redistributive efficiency," Working Papers 2015/42, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    20. George Economides & Thomas Moutos, 2017. "Minimum Wages in the Presence of In-Kind Redistribution," CESifo Working Paper Series 6545, CESifo.
    21. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2015. "National Education and Global Economic Growth: A Synthesis of the Uzawa–Lucas Two-Sector and the Oniki–Uzawa Trade Models," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(4), pages 905-928, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ijethy:v:15:y:2019:i:3:p:297-309. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1742-7355 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.