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Wage-Setting Policies, Employment, and Food Insecurity: A Multilevel Analysis of 492 078 People in 139 Countries

Author

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  • Reeves, Aaron

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Loopstra, Rachel
  • Tarasuk, Valerie

Abstract

Objectives. To examine the association between wage-setting policy and food insecurity. Methods. We estimated multilevel regression models, using data from the Gallup World Poll (2014–2017) and UCLA’s World Policy Analysis Center, to examine the association between wage setting policy and food insecurity across 139 countries (n = 492 078). Results. Compared with countries with little or no minimum wage, the probability of being food insecure was 0.10 lower (95% confidence interval = 0.02, 0.18) in countries with collective bargaining. However, these associations varied across employment status. More generous wage-setting policies (e.g., collective bargaining or high minimum wages) were associated with lower food insecurity among full-time workers (and, to some extent, part-time workers) but not those who were unemployed. Conclusions. In countries with generous wage-setting policies, employed adults had a lower risk of food insecurity, but the risk of food insecurity for the unemployed was unchanged. Wage-setting policies may be an important intervention for addressing risks of food insecurity among low-income workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Reeves, Aaron & Loopstra, Rachel & Tarasuk, Valerie, 2021. "Wage-Setting Policies, Employment, and Food Insecurity: A Multilevel Analysis of 492 078 People in 139 Countries," SocArXiv 4urcm, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:4urcm
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/4urcm
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roderick Floud & Robert W. Fogel & Bernard Harris & Sok Chul Hong, 2011. "The Changing Body: Health, Nutrition, and Human Development in the Western World since 1700," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number foge10-1, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dena R. Herman & Skye Shodahl & Holly Wilhalme, 2024. "Risk Factors for Food Insecurity among Early Childhood Education Providers: Time for a Solution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Tahna L. Pettman & Carmel Williams & Sue Booth & Deborah Wildgoose & Christina M. Pollard & John Coveney & Julie-Anne McWhinnie & Marian McAllister & Carolyn Dent & Rory Spreckley & Jonathan D. Buckle, 2022. "A Food Relief Charter for South Australia—Towards a Shared Vision for Pathways Out of Food Insecurity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Estefanía Custodio & Sofía Jiménez & María Priscila Ramos & Martina Sartori & Emanuele Ferrari, 2025. "Diet quality rather than caloric intake associated with labour wages in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 17(2), pages 345-361, April.
    4. Alexander Opoku & Jacob Nunoo & Raymond Elikplim Kofinti, 2024. "Working but hungry: precarious employment and household food insecurity in Ghana," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 875-916, December.
    5. Loopstra, Rachel & Baumberg Geiger, Ben & Reeves, Aaron, 2026. "Did increasing the UK’s Universal Credit and working tax credits by £20 per week in 2020–2021 reduce food insecurity?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 127501, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Cassimon, Danny & Fadare, Olusegun & Mavrotas, George, 2024. "Delving deeper into the food security-development finance-governance quality nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa," IOB Analyses & Policy Briefs 55, Universiteit Antwerpen, Institute of Development Policy (IOB).
    7. Hanna Dudek & Joanna Myszkowska-Ryciak & Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska, 2021. "Profiles of Food Insecurity: Similarities and Differences across Selected CEE Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    8. Baek, Seong-Uk & Yoon, Jin-Ha, 2024. "Association between precarious employment and emergence of food insecurity in Korean adults: A population-based longitudinal analysis (2008–2022)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    9. Shuo Yang & Tianheng Shu & Taofang Yu, 2022. "Migration for Better Jobs or Better Living: Shifts in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Danny Cassimon & Olusegun Fadare & George Mavrotas, 2022. "The combined effect of institutional quality and capital flows on food and nutrition security and undernourishment in Sub-Saharan Africa," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(10), pages 1-19, October.
    11. Reeves, Aaron, 2021. "The health effects of wage setting institutions: how collective bargaining improves health but not because it reduces inequality," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113422, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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