This paper presents a simple model to characterize the discriminatory behavior of a non-complying firm in a minimum-wage economy. In the analysis, the violating firm pays one “favored” group of workers the statutory minimum and the other “non-favored” group of workers a sub-minimum. We find conditions under which law enforcement is ineffective in improving the between-group wage differentials. We show that an increase in the minimum wage raises the sub-minimum wage and employment of workers in the non-favored group, but reduces the employment of workers in the favored group. The effect of the minimum wage increase on total employment is unambiguously negative, however.
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Article provided by Economics Bulletin in its journal Economics Bulletin.
Find related papers by JEL classification: J4 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
George J. Stigler, 1974.
"The Optimum Enforcement of Laws,"
NBER Chapters,
in: Essays in the Economics of Crime and Punishment, pages 55-67
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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