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The Effects of the Minimum Wage in the Private and Public Sectors in Brazil

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  • Sara lemos

Abstract

The wage and employment effects of the minimum wage predicted by the standard neoclassical theory rely on a profit maximizing firm, not on a Government employer that can cover the higher wage bill by raising taxes, reducing expenditure, or simply printing money. If the public sector has an inelastic labour demand, the associated non-negative employment effect might offset some of the negative employment effect observed in the private sector and the overall employment effect might be less adverse. This is particularly so if the public sector is overpopulated by minimum wage workers, as in Brazil. There is very limited evidence on the minimum wage effects in developing countries, and none whatsoever on the minimum wage effects across the private and public sectors. This paper estimates the effects of the minimum wage on wages and employment in both the private and public sectors. The data used is an under-explored monthly Brazilian household survey from 1982 to 2000 at individual and regional levels. Robust results suggest that the minimum wage compresses the distribution of both sectors, but in line with a stronger effect in the private sector, more adverse employment effects in the long run are also observed in that sector. In the public sector, no evidence of adverse employment effects was uncovered.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara lemos, 2004. "The Effects of the Minimum Wage in the Private and Public Sectors in Brazil," Discussion Papers in Economics 04/12, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    • Handle: RePEc:lec:leecon:04/12
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    File URL: https://www.le.ac.uk/economics/research/RePEc/lec/leecon/dp04-12.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Borjas, George J. & Freeman, Richard B. (ed.), 1992. "Immigration and the Work Force," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226066332, December.
    2. Alida Castillo-Freeman & Richard B. Freeman, 1992. "When the Minimum Wage Really Bites: The Effect of the U.S.-Level Minimum on Puerto Rico," NBER Chapters, in: Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas, pages 177-212, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. George J. Borjas & Richard B. Freeman, 1992. "Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number borj92-1, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Neumark & William Wascher, 2006. "Minimum Wages and Employment: A Review of Evidence from the New Minimum Wage Research," NBER Working Papers 12663, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lemos Sara, 2005. "Political Variables as Instruments for the Minimum Wage," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-33, December.
    3. Richard B. Freeman, 2009. "Labor Regulations, Unions, and Social Protection in Developing Countries: Market distortions or Efficient Institutions?," NBER Working Papers 14789, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Lemos, Sara, 2004. "The Effects of the Minimum Wage on Wages, Employment and Prices," IZA Discussion Papers 1135, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Aleksandra Majchrowska & Paweł Strawiński, 2022. "Heterogeneous employment effects of minimum wage policies," Working Papers 2022-18, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum wage; wage effect; employment effect; private sector; public sector; Brazil;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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