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Why minimum wage hikes may not reduce employment

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Author Info
Madeline Zavodny

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Abstract

Recent research has challenged the conventional wisdom among economists that increases in the minimum wage reduce employment among low-wage workers. Although some studies continue to find negative effects, others suggest that moderately raising the minimum wage may not reduce employment. The author of this article describes and evaluates several models that may explain the controversial recent findings and proposes avenues for future research that would help determine the validity of these models. ; The author notes that if the recent findings that minimum wage increases do not always adversely affect employment are correct, economists may need to reconsider their views of how labor markets work. In addition, research on other effects of minimum wage increases is needed. For example, the distributional consequences are important, particularly if higher-skilled workers displace lower-skilled workers when the minimum wage is raised. The recent findings challenging traditional thinking about employment and the minimum wage should be taken as the starting point for a larger examination of the effects of the minimum wage rather than an end to the debate.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in its journal Economic Review.

Volume (Year): (1998)
Issue (Month): Q 2 ()
Pages: 18-28
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:fip:fedaer:y:1998:i:q2:p:18-28:n:v.83no.2

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Related research
Keywords: Employment (Economic theory) ; Minimum wage;

References listed on IDEAS
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  1. repec:att:wimass:199512 is not listed on IDEAS
  2. Brown, Charles & Gilroy, Curtis & Kohen, Andrew, 1982. "The Effect of the Minimum Wage on Employment and Unemployment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 20(2), pages 487-528, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Richard V. Burkhauser & Kenneth A. Couch & David C. Wittenburg, 1996. "Who gets what from minimum wage hikes: A re-estimation of Card and Krueger's distributional analysis in "Myth and Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum Wage."," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 49(3), pages 547-552, April.
  4. David Neumark & William Wascher, 1992. "Employment effects of minimum and subminimum wages: Panel data on state minimum wage laws," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 46(1), pages 55-81, October.
  5. Victor Fuchs & Alan Krueger & James Poterba, 1997. "Why Do Economists Disagree About Policy? The Roles of Beliefs About Parameters and Values," Working Papers 768, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section.. [Downloadable!]
  6. Lynch, Lisa M, 1992. "Private-Sector Training and the Earnings of Young Workers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 299-312, March.
  7. Lang, Kevin & Kahn, Shulamit, 1998. "The effect of minimum-wage laws on the distribution of employment: theory and evidence," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 67-82, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Charles Brown & James L. Medoff, 1989. "The Employer Size-Wage Effect," NBER Working Papers 2870, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Janet Currie & Bruce Fallick, 1993. "The Minimum Wage and the Employment of Youth: Evidence from the NLSY," NBER Working Papers 4348, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Kim, Taeil & Taylor, Lowell J, 1995. "The Employment Effect in Retail Trade of California's 1988 Minimum Wage Increase," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 13(2), pages 175-82, April.
  11. John Kennan, 1995. "The Elusive Effects of Minimum Wages," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 1950-1965, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. repec:fth:prinin:389 is not listed on IDEAS
  13. John T. Addison & McKinley L. Blackburn, 1999. "Minimum wages and poverty," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 52(3), pages 393-409, April.
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(explanations, 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.)

  1. Christian Ragacs, 2003. "Mindestlöhne und Beschäftigung: Ein Überblick über die neuere empirische Literatur," Working Papers geewp25, Vienna University of Economics and B.A. Research Group: Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness. [Downloadable!]
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