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The Effect Of Minimum Wages On Uk Agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Dickens
  • Stephen Machin
  • Alan Manning
  • David Metcalf
  • Jonathan Wadsworth
  • Stephen Woodland

Abstract

Since the abolition of the Wages Councils in September 1993, agriculture is the only sector in the UK economy covered by any form of minimum wage legislation. However, the recent denunciation of an ILO convention covering minimum wages in agriculture has paved the way for the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Boards. This paper investigates the impact of the system of minimum wages on the level and structure of earnings and employment in agriculture. On wages, our main conclusion is that the minimum wages set by the Agricultural Wages Boards are important determinants of the average level and distribution of earnings in UK agriculture. On employment, our main conclusion is that there is no evidence that minimum wages have reduced the level of employment in agriculture. If anything, our estimates imply a weak positive, though statistically insignificant, impact of minimum wages on employment. This seems to be true when we disaggregate by sex and skill.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Dickens & Stephen Machin & Alan Manning & David Metcalf & Jonathan Wadsworth & Stephen Woodland, 1995. "The Effect Of Minimum Wages On Uk Agriculture," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jageco:v:46:y:1995:i:1:p:1-19
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1477-9552.1995.tb00748.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Card, 1992. "Using Regional Variation in Wages to Measure the Effects of the Federal Minimum Wage," Working Papers 680, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..
    2. Engle, Robert & Granger, Clive, 2015. "Co-integration and error correction: Representation, estimation, and testing," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 39(3), pages 106-135.
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    4. Lawrence F. Katz & Alan B. Krueger, 1992. "The Effect of the Minimum Wage on the Fast-Food Industry," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 46(1), pages 6-21, October.
    5. Card, David & Krueger, Alan B, 1994. "Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(4), pages 772-793, September.
    6. Charles Brown & Curtis Gilroy & Andrew Kohen, 1982. "The Effect of the Minimum Wage on Employment and Unemployment: A Survey," NBER Working Papers 0846, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. David Card, 1992. "Do Minimum Wages Reduce Employment? A Case Study of California, 1987–89," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 46(1), pages 38-54, October.
    8. Harvey, A C, et al, 1986. "Stochastic Trends in Dynamic Regression Models: An Application to the Employment-Output Equations," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 96(384), pages 975-985, December.
    9. David Card, 1992. "Using Regional Variation in Wages to Measure the Effects of the Federal Minimum Wage," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 46(1), pages 22-37, October.
    10. 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.
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    12. Dickens, Richard & Machin, Stephen & Manning, Alan, 1999. "The Effects of Minimum Wages on Employment: Theory and Evidence from Britain," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(1), pages 1-22, January.
    13. Richard Dickens & Stephen Machin & Alan Manning & David Metcalf & Jonathan Wadsworth & Stephen Woodland, 1995. "The Effect Of Minimum Wages On Uk Agriculture," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 1-19, January.
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    15. Stephen Machin & Alan Manning, 1994. "The Effects of Minimum Wages on Wage Dispersion and Employment: Evidence from the U.K. Wages Councils," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 47(2), pages 319-329, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Frances Stewart, 2003. "Income distribution and development," Chapters, in: John Toye (ed.), Trade and Development, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. S Milner, 1994. "Charting the Coverage of Collective Pay Setting Institutions 1895-1990," CEP Discussion Papers dp0215, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Vera Bitsch & Stefan Mair & Marta M. Borucinska & Christiane A. Schettler, 2017. "Introduction of a Nationwide Minimum Wage: Challenges to Agribusinesses in Germany," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 19(1), pages 13-34.
    4. Conradie, Beatrice, 2005. "Wages and wage elasticities for wine and table grapes in South Africa," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 44(1), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Alana Gilbert & Euan Phimister & Ioannis Theodossiou, 2001. "The Potential Impact of the Minimum Wage in Rural Areas," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(8), pages 765-770.
    6. Nguyen Viet, Cuong, 2010. "The Impact of a Minimum Wage Increase on Employment, Wages and Expenditures of Low-Wage Workers in Vietnam," MPRA Paper 36751, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 15 Aug 2011.
    7. McDonald, Scott & Punt, Cecilia, 2005. "General equilibrium modelling in South Africa: What the future holds," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 44(1), pages 1-39, March.
    8. Cuong Viet Nguyen, 2013. "The impact of minimum wages on employment of low-wage workers," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 21(3), pages 583-615, July.
    9. Vink, N & Tregurtha, N, 2003. "A Theoretical Perspective On A Minimum Wage In South African Agriculture," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 42(1).
    10. Milner, S., 1994. "Charting the coverage of collective pay setting institutions 1895-1990," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 20801, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Simon Deakin & Francis Green, 2009. "One Hundred Years of British Minimum Wage Legislation," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(2), pages 205-213, June.
    12. Richard Dickens & Stephen Machin & Alan Manning & David Metcalf & Jonathan Wadsworth & Stephen Woodland, 1995. "The Effect Of Minimum Wages On Uk Agriculture," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 1-19, January.
    13. Mr. Michael Sarel, 1997. "How Macroeconomic Factors Affect Income Distribution: The Cross-Country Evidence," IMF Working Papers 1997/152, International Monetary Fund.
    14. Abdullah Selim Öztek, 2021. "Minimum Wage Effects under Informality: Evidence from Turkey," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 98-136.
    15. Malena Arcidiácono, 2015. "Salario Mínimo y Distribución salarial: Evidencia para Argentina 2003 – 2013," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0192, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

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