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Minimum Wages and the Health of Hispanic Women

Author

Listed:
  • Susan L. Averett

    (Lafayette College
    IZA)

  • Julie K. Smith

    (Lafayette College)

  • Yang Wang

    (University of Wisconsin—Madison)

Abstract

States are increasingly resorting to raising the minimum wage to boost the earnings of those at the bottom of the income distribution. Several policymakers have also claimed such increases may be health improving. In this paper, we examine the effects of minimum wage increases on the health of low-educated Hispanic women, who constitute a growing part of the US labor force, are disproportionately represented in minimum wage jobs, and typically have less access to health care. Using a difference-in-differences identification strategy and data drawn from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey and the Current Population Survey from the years 1994 to 2015, we find little evidence that low-educated Hispanic women likely affected by minimum wage increases experience any changes in health status, access to care, or use of preventive care. We conclude that efforts to improve the health of low-educated Hispanic women are not likely to occur through increases in the minimum wage.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan L. Averett & Julie K. Smith & Yang Wang, 2018. "Minimum Wages and the Health of Hispanic Women," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 217-239, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joerap:v:1:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s41996-018-0019-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s41996-018-0019-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Laetitia Lebihan, 2023. "Minimum wages and health: evidence from European countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 85-107, March.
    2. Leigh, J. Paul, 2021. "Treatment design, health outcomes, and demographic categories in the literature on minimum wages and health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    3. Kathryn L. Clark & R. Vincent Pohl & Ryan C. Thomas, 2020. "Minimum Wages And Healthy Diet," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 38(3), pages 546-560, July.
    4. David Neumark, 2023. "The Effects of Minimum Wages on (Almost) Everything? A Review of Recent Evidence on Health and Related Behaviors," NBER Working Papers 31191, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Averett, Susan L. & Smith, Julie K. & Wang, Yang, 2019. "Minimum Wages and the Health and Access to Care of Immigrants' Children," IZA Discussion Papers 12606, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Sigaud, Liam & Daley, Angela & Rubin, Jonathan & Noblet, Caroline, 2022. "The effects of recent minimum wage increases on self-reported health in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Minimum wage; Hispanic women; Health outcomes; Health insurance; Preventive care;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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