Minimum Wage Research Articles

Exploring the Association Between Minimum Wage Policy, Income Inequality, and Obesity Rates in US Counties.

To examine the interaction between minimum wage policy, income inequality, and obesity rates among U.S. counties, and how this relationship is shaped by policy, place, and racial/ethnic composition in a county. We used the County Health Rankings Data for obesity ratio (measured by Body Mass Index ≥ 30kg/m2) in US counties and combined it with the American Community Survey to include the Gini coefficient (GC) and population characteristics. The analytical sample included 3129 counties between 2015 and 2019. We ran several sets of regression analyses, controlling for county characteristics, access to healthy foods, and minimum wage categories as a policy influencer on the obesity ratio. In total, 31.7% of the population were obese, with wide variations across counties; during this time, counties' average GC was 0.442. Our findings showed that in the lack of any other predictors, GC has a positive association with the county obesity ratio (OLS 0.147, CI 0.122-0.173). Counties with minimum wage between $7.26-$9.0 and $9 + had lower obesity ratios by - 0.6 and - 2.8 percentage points, respectively, and counties with lower access to healthy foods had higher obesity ratio (Coeff = 0.022, CI 0.019-0.025). Income inequality is positively associated with the obesity ratio in counties. Access to healthy foods and state minimum wage policy predict obesity rates, with a lack of healthy foods increasing the ratio, while a higher minimum wage reduces it.

Factors Associated with Carbohydrate Counting Adherence in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Brazil.

Background: Carbohydrate Counting (CC) is important in managing the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with adherence to CC in adults with T1DM in Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire. Information was collected on sociodemographic, economic, clinical, and anthropometric factors; knowledge of the CC strategy; the acquisition of supplies; the perception of mathematical skills as a hurdle in adhering to CC; and follow-up with healthcare professionals. Pearson's chi-squared or Fisher's exact test was applied (p < 0.05). Results: Of the 173 participants, 72.8% practiced CC. Practicing CC was associated with having an income higher than three minimum wage equivalents (p = 0.023), and not practicing CC due to the lack of supplies for glucose monitoring was associated with having practiced CC at some point but is currently not practicing (p < 0.001). Not practicing the necessary calculations for CC was associated with "knowing how to do CC but had never done it" and "had done CC at some point but currently not practicing" (p < 0.001). Stopping or having stopped practicing CC due to insufficient materials for glucose monitoring was associated with having practiced CC for a period but is not currently doing so (p < 0.001). Following up with healthcare professionals (p < 0.001) and receiving encouragement from the endocrinologist (p < 0.001) and nutritionist (p = 0.047) were associated with adherence to CC. Conclusions: Having a better financial status, performing the mathematical calculations required for CC, having access to supplies for glucose monitoring, and receiving specialized professional follow-up were factors associated with adherence to CC in Brazil.

The impact of a minimum wage increase on hours worked: heterogeneous effects by gender and sector

AbstractA minimum wage increase could lead to adverse employment effects for certain subgroups of minimum wage workers, while leaving others unaffected. This heterogeneity could be overlooked in studies that examine the overall population of minimum wage workers. In this paper, we test for heterogeneous effects of a minimum wage increase on the hours worked of minimum wage employees in Ireland. For all minimum wage workers, we find that a 10% increase in the minimum wage leads to a one‐hour reduction in weekly hours worked, equating to an hours elasticity of approximately −0.3. However, for industry workers and those in the accommodation &amp; food sector, the impact is larger, with elasticity −0.8. We also find a negative impact on the hours worked among men on minimum wage, with no significant effect for women. This is due to the disproportionate number of men working in sectors that show the greatest impact on hours. In line with suggestions from the recent literature, we attempt to identify directly those in receipt of minimum wage using hourly wage data, while also studying the dynamic impact on hours worked over multiple time periods using a fully flexible difference‐in‐differences estimator.

Use of herbal medicinal products among patients in primary health care in a Brazilian southeastern city: evidence from the Prover project.

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicinal product use among primary healthcare patients in southeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional study combined with documentary research was conducted between August and November 2017, involving interviews with 1,221 adults following dispensing from primary healthcare units. The characterization of herbal medicinal product usage included assessing the prevalence, redundancy, and interaction indicators, as well as identifying sources of recommendation and acquisition. Descriptive statistics were used for variable analysis and logistic regression was used to estimate the factors associated with herbal medicinal product usage, calculating odds ratios at a significance level of 5%. The prevalence of herbal medicinal product usage was 3.8%, with 60% of them prescribed by physicians. Private pharmacies (53%) were the main sources, and Valeriana officinalis (42%) was the most cited plant species and the sole herbal medicinal product on the municipal list. The indicators of redundancy and interactions between concurrently prescribed pharmaceutical and herbal medicinal products were 42.9% and 28.6%, respectively. Herbal medicinal products usage correlated with the female sex (OR= 2.50; 95%CI= 1.11-5.59), non-white race (OR= 0.52; 95%CI= 0.28-0.94), monthly income above 1 minimum wage (OR= 3.48; 95%CI= 1.51-8.01), and self-reported of anxiety, mood disorder or depression (OR= 2.97; 95%CI= 1.55-5.66). Despite the low use of herbal medicinal products, users face a high potential for interactions and therapeutic redundancy. Special attention should be paid to patients taking herbal medicinal products and allopathic medicines concurrently. Women with anxiety, mood disorders, or depression were more likely to use herbal medicinal products, whereas non-white people were 48% less likely to use them, suggesting potential socioeconomic disparities in access.

Permanently marginalized? Securing living hours among part-time workers in hotels and restaurants in Northern Europe

This paper offers a comparative perspective on the wage and working conditions of marginal part-time workers (less than 15 hours per week) in the Danish, Irish and Norwegian hotel and restaurant sector. Each of the three countries belongs to distinct industrial relations models with different sectoral traditions of multi-employer bargaining, political intervention and union strength. We focus on social partner initiatives, over time, covering trade unions, employers and national governments’ unilateral, bipartite or tripartite measures to secure ‘living hours’ for workers with contracts of few hours. Analytically, we seek inspiration from the work on industrial relations regimes by Visser (2009) and combine it with the concept of living hours. We find that social partners have introduced a series of initiatives to secure living hours, notably to protect and increase hourly wages and secure guaranteed weekly working hours. However, while securing minimum wages and income through either bipartite, tripartite or unilateral measures seem relatively successful in all three countries, the attempts to guarantee minimum weekly working hours and thus secure living hours prove more difficult and mainly has had an impact in Denmark.

The dilemmas of minimum wages of RMG workers in Bangladesh in the age of globalisation and neoliberalism: a qualitative case review

The dilemmas of minimum wages of RMG workers in Bangladesh in the age of globalisation and neoliberalism: a qualitative case review

Effects of minimum wage policies on executive compensation contracts: An empirical analysis in China

This paper investigates the impact of minimum wage policies on executive pay-for-performance sensitivity (PPS) in the compensation packages of A-share listed firms in China. Using data from 745 counties between 2007 and 2020, we find that minimum wage policies lead to a decrease in PPS. This finding remains robust through instrumental variable approaches, cross-border matching tests, alternative measurements, and other rigorous tests. Moreover, the negative impact of minimum wage on PPS is more pronounced in companies with higher labor dependency, limited ability to pass on labor costs to customers, and lower risk resilience. These results support the hypothesis that rising labor costs due to increased minimum wage, which lead to performance distortion and heightened risk, promote shareholders to reduce PPS to optimize compensation contracts for value maximization.

Increasing expenditures on home- and community-based services: Do home care workers benefit?

To examine the association of Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) expenditures on the home care workforce. We use two national, secondary data sources from 2008 to 2019: state-level Medicaid HCBS expenditures and the American Community Survey, in which we identify direct care workers in the home (i.e., home care workers), defined as nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides or personal care aides working in home health care services, individual and family services, and private households. Our key explanatory variable is HCBS expenditures per state per year. To estimate the association between changes in Medicaid HCBS expenditures and the workforce size, hourly wages and hours worked, we use negative binomial, linear, and generalized ordered logit regression, respectively. All models include demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the number of potential HCBS beneficiaries (individuals with a disability and income under the federal maximum income eligibility limits), indicators for minimum wage and/or overtime protections for direct care workers, wage pass-through policies, and state and year fixed effects. We exclude states with incomplete reporting of expenditures. States' HCBS expenditures increased between 2008 and 2019 after adjusting for inflation and the number of potential HCBS beneficiaries. Yet, home care workers' wages remained stagnant at $11-12/h. We find no association between changes in Medicaid HCBS expenditures and wages. For every additional $1 million in Medicaid HCBS expenditures, the expected number of workers increases by 1.2 and the probability of working overtime increased (0.0015% points; p < 0.05). Results are largely robust under multiple sensitivity analyses. We find no evidence of a statistically significant relationship between changes in state-level changes in Medicaid HCBS expenditures and worker wages but do find a significant, but small, association with hours worked and workforce size.

The political economy of minimum wage setting: The Factories and Shops Act of Victoria (Australia), 1896–1913

AbstractThe Victorian Factories and Shops Act of 1896, the second minimum wage law in the world, empowered administrative agencies (‘Special Boards’) to set trade‐specific minimum rates on the basis of age, sex, and occupation. Some Victorian supporters of minimum wages looked to end sweating and protect women and children, while others sought to use the law to protect adult men. Opponents argued that they would disrupt labour markets, increasing employers’ costs and creating unintended consequences for workers. Evidence from actual minimum wages suggests that boards were loosely constrained by market factors, but also that they had some discretion. Some Special Boards essentially followed the market for their trades while others set rates that were binding for some workers. To the extent that minimum rates were binding, they tended to reduce inequality among adult male workers, particularly after a 1907 federal law established a living wage covering employers with operations in multiple states. However, they also increased inequality across groups, increasing wages of adult men relative to those of women and youths. The act formally institutionalized gender‐based pay differences, a practice that continued in Australian minimum wage setting for more than 70 years.

Reconciling market and moral logics on a minimum wage: Supermarket work in Australia during the first two years of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Essential workers generate and maintain basic services that populations must receive, without interruption, to sustain a healthy, functional society. When SARS-COV-2 spread around the world, mundane low-paid work in essential non-healthcare industries such as supermarkets, became high risk, makeshift and unpredictable. Drawing on recent scholarship in the sociology of work, we conducted 32 interviews to capture how supermarket workers in Australia navigated the trade-offs and moral choices entailed in performing essential roles in non-health settings during a pandemic. We found that, as key assumptions about the resilience of globalised modernity and its supporting systems were tested, supermarket workers found themselves at the centre of experiments and public debates about the effectiveness and appropriateness of different infection control measures. Compensating for a lack of preparedness by governments and corporations, they were forced to accept, and then tasked with resolving inconsistencies between the political economy of low paid work and the moral economy of social provision. Given the experiences of those who found themselves in essential roles outside healthcare, there is an urgent need to reconceptualize what ‘successful’ pandemic preparedness and response entails. Reflecting on their experiences, these workers told us that expressions of solidarity and concern, from those not sharing their position of biological and financial precarity, were of little value. Drawing on the market logics that define their employment as essential and replaceable, the workers we spoke to observed that fair renumeration for risks and better protections were the most important considerations in recasting how societies prepare for future pandemics.

Reimbursement of earnings or income lost by the party as a result of appearing before a court or a public administration authority

The Article 86.3 of the Act on court costs in civil cases (which also applies in administrative cases and cases tried before administrative courts) establishes the upper limit of compensation for earnings or income lost by a person who appeared before a civil court, administrative court or public administration authority. A similar solution is provided for in Article 618b § 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in relation to the maximum amount of compensation for lost earnings that may be awarded to a witness in criminal proceedings. Unless specific provisions do not provide otherwise, this amount is currently (2024) PLN 82.31, which is much lower than the average daily wage of a person receiving the minimum wage and, as such, in most cases, does not compensate for the actual loss suffered by the party, witness or expert who appeared before the court or public administration authority. The applicable provisions specifying the maximum amount of compensation for lost earnings or income are considered inconsistent with the Constitution. For now, however, the Constitutional Tribunal has not recognized them as such, so these provisions are in force. Nevertheless, some judges do not apply them, assuming that they have the right to omit provisions that, in their opinion, are inconsistent with the Constitution. By doing so, they expose themselves to disciplinary liability. Is a regulation establishing an upper limit on the reimbursed income or earnings justified and necessary? Should judges ignore the provisions that set such a limit at too low a level? The author of the paper tries to answer these questions.

The Minimum Wage in Greece: A Review of Institutional Features, Developments and Effects Between 1975 and 2023

Abstract This paper takes a historical perspective and assesses the evolution of the institutional features in setting the minimum wage in Greece between 1975 and 2023. It also evaluates developments regarding the minimum wage level, its bite and alignment with productivity. The paper reviews the limited available empirical literature on the association of the minimum wage with labour market outcomes (average wages, employment, inequality). It presents new estimates of the elasticity of average wages to the minimum wage. One of the paper’s key points is that the minimum wage setting mechanism has changed over time as the economic environment has changed. Reviewing the evolution of the minimum wage over time to evaluate whether the minimum wage follows productivity developments and whether the minimum wage bites leads to the second and third takeaways of the paper. The minimum wage follows productivity developments over the longer term but not always in the short term. The bite of the minimum wage is high and appears to be higher when government intervention in setting the minimum wage is stronger. As for the impact of the minimum wage on average wages, the new estimates of the elasticity of the average to the minimum wage the paper provides, use more precisely measured wage rates, which show a high elasticity of average to minimum wages. Finally, the review of the existing literature on the employment effects of the minimum wage shows that, as in other countries, the results are mixed with modest negative or no effects.

The Impact of Minimum Wage System on Low-Income Groups

The minimum wage system sets a legal floor on the income of workers. It provides economic security for low-wage workers and ensures that their basic needs are met, thereby reducing poverty. For low-income workers, increasing the minimum wage directly enhances their earnings, living standards, and financial stability. As a research focus, the primary area of examination would be the precise effect of minimum wage adjustments on the income levels of those in low-paying jobs: analyze the changes in the real income of low-income workers after the augement of minimum salary and the improvement influence of family economic conditions. Second one is exploring the impact on this system changes employment sector: Examine whether raising the minimum wage causes employers that reduce hiring or layoffs, and the potential impact of such changes on low-skilled labor markets. The last one is analyzing the impacts of minimum wage policies of psychological and low-income groups’ social wellbeing: Using questionnaires to understand changes in the perception of low-income workers about their job satisfaction, quality of life, and social status. The rise in this system significantly rose the income level of low-income workers, helped to alleviate poverty, and raised the basic standard of living of these families. In the short term, that increase may have a certain negative impact on some labor-intensive industries, in the form of a small number of job losses; But over the longer term, the job market stabilizes as companies adapt to increased costs and improve efficiency through technological innovation.

“Tax Amazon, Not Working People”: Left Populism and Labor Organizing in Seattle

Abstract This paper examines the role of labor and community left populist organizing in the Tax Amazon campaign based in Seattle, WA, USA. As a case study within a larger project that examines manifestations of both right-wing and left-wing populism in urban spaces, the paper presents a lens through which urban populism may be examined in relation to new forms of labor organizing, with a specific focus on the dynamics of left populist resistance. The Tax Amazon campaign is situated within a longer trajectory of contemporary left populist organizing in Seattle. Emerging from a previous campaign that resulted in Seattle City Council instituting a $15 minimum wage, the Tax Amazon campaign brought together labor and community organizations to pressure Seattle City Council to introduce a corporate tax to generate funding for affordable housing initiatives. The campaign was met with resistance from the local business community, as well as some local trade unions. Being a leading corporate figure in this opposition, Amazon emerged as a key target of the left populist campaign. Through this study, we ask, what role did labor-community coalitions play in shaping the emergence of a broader left populist politics at the municipal scale in Seattle? Building from the experience of the Tax Amazon campaign, the paper reflects on the dynamics of resistance to corporate power through labor- and community-based left populist organizing. Reflecting a shift in U.S. politics at the municipal scale, Seattle offers a key case through which to assess whether and how urban populism may give rise to new forms of labor organizing. The paper also considers the ways in which the simultaneity of the Tax Amazon campaign and the Movement for Black Lives to ‘Defund the Police’ expanded the scope of political demands in the context of Seattle’s racialized urban precarity. In its conclusion, the paper draws from the analysis to reflect on both the broader prospects and limitations of left populist organising.

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI TINGKAT PENGANGGURAN TERBUKA DI JAWA TIMUR 2012-2022

East Java Province has the second population density after West Java Province. This number of population can certainly be an advantage with abundant human resources or problems related to employment. This research is to find out and analyze the effect of minimum wages, population, HDI, PMTB, economic growth, and the agricultural sector has an open response rate in 38 districts/cities of East Java Province in 2012-2022. This study uses quantitative research with panel data models. The results of the research show that the data is free from classical assumption problems with the minimum wage variable having a significant positive influence, the population variable and the agriculture, forestry and fisheries variables having an insignificant and positive influence, the HDI and PMTB variables having a significant negative influence, the economic growth variable having the influence is insignificant and negative.

Unintended workplace safety consequences of minimum wages

We investigate the unintended impact of minimum wage increases on workplace safety. Using establishment-level data from the United States and a cohort-based stacked difference-in-differences design, we find that large increases in minimum wages have significant adverse effects on workplace safety. Our findings indicate that, on average, a large minimum wage increase results in a 4.6 percent increase in the total case rate. Event study estimates show that this adverse effect persists in the medium run. Furthermore, we find a more salient effect for firms more likely to be financially constrained or subject to a higher labor market rigidity in firing workers. We provide suggestive evidence that small minimum wage increases might reduce injury rates, highlighting the potential heterogeneity in the impact of minimum wage changes. We do not find evidence that capital-labor substitution could be behind the findings.

Mexico's Minimum Wage Data: Trends, Policies, and a Research Agenda

The decline of the real value of the minimum wage amid trade liberalization in Mexico has raised concerns about its policy effectiveness and unintended consequences. The literature has examined the impact of minimum wage adjustments on employment levels, worker earnings, poverty, and inequality. However, findings from different sample periods and regions still need to be reconciled. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms connecting minimum wage to other market components. This research note first explores Mexico’s minimum wage data from 1980 to 2023 to grasp its spatial and temporal trends. We then discuss several future research directions to explore mechanisms through which minimum wage potentially works, including the welfare effect of the policy, the informal sector, and interactions between different policy tools.

Educational activities in the prevention of gestacional anemia

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of gestational anemia and verify whether educational activities interfere with the presence of gestational anemia. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, nested within a prospective cohort, from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy, carried out in the city of São Luís, Maranhão. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical questionnaires, as well as a questionnaire on food and nutritional insecurity, were applied. For data analysis, Poisson logistic regression was used. Results: The sample consisted of 309 pregnant women, where the prevalence of self-reported anemia was 16.82%. Most pregnant women were between 20 and 29 years old (50.49%). 49.51% belonged to socioeconomic classes D (from 1 to 3 minimum wages) and E (up to 1 minimum wage). Participation in educational activities during prenatal care (PR=0.30; CI=0.9-1.04; p=0.001), belonging to socioeconomic classes D/E (PR=0.82; CI=4.27 -5.45; p=0.001), is in the third trimester (PR=2.74; CI=0.78-0.60; p=0.002) and experiences food and nutritional insecurity (PR=2.49; CI =1.07-5.78; p=0.033) were issues associated with anemia during pregnancy. Conclusion: Educational activities during the gestational period are important to combat gestational anemia and promote health. The study showed a low prevalence of self-reported anemia, which may indicate that limiting factors, such as the pandemic period, made it difficult to access examination results or even undergo them.

Socioeconomic Profiling and Dynamics: Insights from a Rural Community Study in Kedah

This study provides a socio-economic profile of Mahang and Nagalilit, two sub-districts in Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia. Residents of Mahang primarily rely on rubber tapping and oil palm cultivation, industries vulnerable to monsoon weather. In Desa Keda Nagalilit, locals are employed in the nearby hi-tech industrial area, oil palm plantations, or as shop assistants. Many households earn below the minimum wage, compelling residents to take on multiple jobs for financial stability. Data was systematically collected through questionnaires focusing on household demographics, socio-economic conditions, and lifestyle patterns. The analysis offers valuable insights into the living conditions and challenges these communities face, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research revealed income disparities and variations in living standards between sub-districts, underscoring the socio-economic impact of the pandemic. It further examined how variables such as age, income, employment status, and education correlate with financial strain, mental health issues, and disruptions to daily life. Findings demonstrate significant relationships between socioeconomic factors and the pandemic's effects, emphasizing the need for targeted measures to alleviate poverty, improve education, and enhance residents’ overall quality of life while addressing financial and mental health challenges

Empowering Communities to Reduce Dependence on Unlicensed Mining and Minimize Corporate Losses: A Case Study of PTBA in December 2023

This study aims to analyze the impact of community empowerment programs on reducing dependence on unlicensed mining and to measure the potential losses incurred by PTBA due to these activities. The time sample used in this research is December 2023. A quantitative approach is used to calculate the income earned by the community from six empowerment programs, including bamboo downstream processing, snakehead fish farming, reclamation plant cultivation, maggot farming, quail farming, and eel farming. The total income generated by these programs for 93 beneficiaries reached USD 13,238.22 per month, with an average income per program ranging from USD 153.70 to USD 244.39, which remains below the regional minimum wage (UMR) of Muara Enim Regency, set at USD 233 per month. This income is compared to assess how competitive the alternative livelihoods provided by the empowerment programs are. In addition, this study calculates PTBA’s losses from unlicensed mining in the same month, based on the extraction of 0.175 million tons of coal, the market price of USD 58.28 per ton, and the lost royalties of 8%. The total financial loss reached USD 10.2 million, with USD 815,920 in lost royalties. The analysis underscores the importance of expanding and strengthening community empowerment programs to further reduce unlicensed mining activities, while also mitigating the financial and environmental impacts on the company.