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Spatial Heterogeneity and Minimum Wages: Employment Estimates for Teens Using Cross-State Commuting Zones

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  • Allegretto, Sylvia
  • Dube, Arindrajit
  • Reich, Michael

Abstract

Conventional approaches to estimating the effect of minimum wages on teen employment insufficiently account for heterogeneous employment patterns and selectivity of states with higher minimum wages. We overcome this problem by using policy discontinuities at state borders. Our estimates from cross-state labor markets (commuting zones) using data from the Census and the American Community Survey show that the measured negative impacts on teen employment in traditional estimates are driven by insufficient controls for spatial heterogeneity. We also replicate our key results using the Current Population Survey and show that the negative employment impact in traditional specifications is driven by pre-existing trends. Finally, by using a version of randomization inference, we devise a new test for heterogeneous effects of minimum wages across different local labor markets. We do not find evidence of such heterogeneous treatment effects using this new approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Allegretto, Sylvia & Dube, Arindrajit & Reich, Michael, 2009. "Spatial Heterogeneity and Minimum Wages: Employment Estimates for Teens Using Cross-State Commuting Zones," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt1x99m65f, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
  • Handle: RePEc:cdl:indrel:qt1x99m65f
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    Cited by:

    1. David Neumark & Peter Shirley, 2022. "Myth or measurement: What does the new minimum wage research say about minimum wages and job loss in the United States?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 384-417, October.
    2. Priyaranjan Jha & David Neumark & Antonio Rodriguez-Lopez, 2022. "What's Across the Border? Re-Evaluating the Cross-Border Evidence on Minimum Wage Effects," CESifo Working Paper Series 9746, CESifo.
    3. David Neumark & Peter Shirley, 2021. "Myth or Measurement: What Does the New Minimum Wage Research Say about Minimum Wages and Job Loss in the United States?," NBER Working Papers 28388, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Sylvia Allegretto & Arindrajit Dube & Michael Reich & Ben Zipperer, 2017. "Credible Research Designs for Minimum Wage Studies," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 70(3), pages 559-592, May.
    5. Aleksandra Majchrowska & Paweł Strawiński, 2021. "Minimum wage and local employment: A spatial panel approach," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(5), pages 1581-1602, October.
    6. Belman, Dale. & Wolfson, Paul J., 2016. "What does the minimum wage do in developing countries? : A review of studies and methodologies," ILO Working Papers 994893283402676, International Labour Organization.
    7. Regmi, Krishna, 2020. "The effect of the minimum wage on children’s cognitive achievement," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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