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Schmitt, John (2015): Explaining the small employment effects of the minimum wage in the United States. In: Industrial relations, Jg. 54, H. 4, S. 547-581. DOI:10.1111/irel.12106

Abstract

"The employment effect of the minimum wage is one of the most studied topics in all of economics. This paper examines the most recent wave of this research - roughly since 2000 - to determine the best current estimate of the impact of increases in the minimum wage on the employment prospects of low-wage workers in the United States. The weight of that evidence points to little or no employment response to modest increases in the minimum wage. The paper also reviews evidence on a range of possible adjustments to minimum- wage increases that may help to explain why the measured employment effects are consistently small." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Seeliger, Martin (2015): Europäischer Mindestlohn als Arbeitnehmerinteresse? Probleme gewerkschaftlicher Positionsbildung. In: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, Jg. 65, H. 4-5, S. 36-42.

Abstract

"Der Vorschlag einer gemeinsamen Lohnuntergrenze für die EU wirkt plausibel. Die Diskussionen unter den europäischen Gewerkschaften sind allerdings kontrovers. Heterogenität erschwert die Entwicklung einer gemeinsamen Position." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Sun, Wenkai, Xianghong Wang & Xiaoxi Zhang (2015): Minimum wage effects on employment and working time of Chinese workers. Evidence based on CHNS. In: IZA journal of labor and development, Jg. 4, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1186/s40175-015-0046-2

Abstract

"This paper examines the impact of minimum wage policies on employment, income, and working time of Chinese workers. Using data from China Health and Nutrition Survey, we focus on identifying the effects of minimum wage adjustments using a pre-specified model. We control for lagged minimum wage standard, individual characteristics, provincial population and economic factors, and fixed effects of province and year. We find some evidence of minimum wage impacts on wages and employment for limited groups. Increase of minimum wage has positive effect on wage income only for low-income workers and has negative employment effect only for workers in private and individual enterprises. While minimum wage shortens the average working hours for employed workers, it does not have significant effect on the relative working times for different income groups. These findings may imply some beneficial effects of the minimum wage policies for Chinese workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Totty, Evan (2015): The effect of minimum wages on employment. A factor model approach. (IRLE working paper 2015-110), Berkeley, CA, 60 S.

Abstract

"This paper resolves issues in the minimum wage-employment debate by using factor model econometric methods to address concerns related to unobserved heterogeneity. Recent work has shown that the negative effects of minimum wages on employment found using traditional methods are sensitive to the inclusion of controls for regional heterogeneity and selection of states that experience minimum wage hikes, leaving the two sides of the debate in disagreement about the appropriate approach. Factor model methods are an ideal solution for this disagreement, as they allow for the presence of multiple unobserved common factors, which can be correlated with the repressors. These methods provide a more flexible way of addressing concerns related to unobserved heterogeneity and are robust to critiques from either side of the debate. The factor model estimators produce minimum wage-employment elasticities that are much smaller than the traditional OLS results and are not statistically different from zero. These results hold for many specifications and two datasets that have been used in the minimum wage-employment literature. A simulation shows that unobserved common factors can explain the different estimates seen across methodologies in the literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ye, Linxiang, T. H. Gindling & Shi Li (2015): Compliance with legal minimum wages and overtime pay regulations in China. In: IZA journal of labor and development, Jg. 4, S. 1-35. DOI:10.1186/s40175-015-0038-2

Abstract

"We use a matched firm-employee data set to examine the extent of compliance with minimum wage and overtime pay regulations in Chinese formal sector firms. We find evidence that there is broad compliance with legal minimum wages in China; fewer than 3.5% of full-time workers earn less than the legal monthly minimum wage. On the other hand, we find evidence that there is substantial non-compliance with overtime pay regulations; almost 29% of the employees who work overtime are not paid any additional wage for overtime hours, and 70% are paid less than the legally-required 1.5 times the regular wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"This report reviews the National Minimum Wage (NMW) including the state of the economy and the labour market and the operation of the NMW. It makes recommendations for the level of each of the different rates of the NMW which the Low Pay Commission (LPC) believes should apply from October 2015.
The government had also asked us to consider whether any changes can be made to the Apprentice Rate to make the structure simpler and improve compliance and whether the structure and level of the Apprentice Rate should continue to be applied to all levels of apprenticeship, including higher levels; Our recommendation on this is given in chapter 4 'Review of the Structure of the Apprentice Rate' of the report." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Minimum wages are common but controversial. Three out of four OECD countries use them, and supporting low-wage earners is widely seen as important for promoting inclusive growth. But views differ about whether such support is best provided through minimum wages, or closely related policies, such as government transfers. This policy brief considers three aspects that are central for a balanced assessment of policy choices: The cost of employing minimum-wage workers, their take-home pay, and the number of workers affected." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Addison, John T., McKinley L. Blackburn & Chad D. Cotti (2014): On the robustness of minimum wage effects. Geographically-disparate trends and job growth equations. (IZA discussion paper 8420), Bonn, 22 S.

Abstract

"Just as the standard two-way fixed effects model for estimating the impact of minimum wages on employment has been sharply criticized for its neglect of spatial heterogeneity so, too, have the latest models been attacked for their uncritical use of state- or county-specific linear trends (and other spatial counterfactuals). Further attenuation of the effects of policy is also alleged to obtain in such circumstances where the true effect of minimum wages is upon employment growth rather than levels. This paper investigates whether such considerations call into question our earlier findings of statistically insignificant employment effects for an archetypal low-wage sector. We report that a continued focus on employment levels is indicated and that while experimentation with nonlinear trends may be productive their use is unlikely to dislodge the finding of considerably reduced negative employment effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arni, Patrick, Werner Eichhorst, Nico Pestel, Alexander Spermann & Klaus F. Zimmermann (2014): Kein Mindestlohn ohne unabhängige wissenschaftliche Evaluation. (IZA Standpunkte 65), Bonn, 28 S.

Abstract

"Die deutsche Bundesregierung plant die Einführung eines flächendeckenden Mindestlohns. Dieser Beitrag fasst die vorliegenden nationalen und internationalen Erfahrungen mit Mindestlöhnen zusammen. Er analysiert dabei die Konsequenzen für Beschäftigung und Einkommensverteilung und legt eine Abschätzung der zu erwartenden Wirkungen in Deutschland vor. Eine systematische und unabhängige wissenschaftliche Begleitforschung und Evaluation wird erforderlich sein, um mögliche dauerhafte Folgeschäden für den Arbeitsmarkt transparent zu machen. Dies lässt Politik und Wählern eine faire Option für eine Kurskorrektur." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Arni, Patrick, Werner Eichhorst, Nico Pestel, Alexander Spermann & Klaus F. Zimmermann (2014): Der gesetzliche Mindestlohn in Deutschland. Einsichten und Handlungsempfehlungen aus der Evaluationsforschung. In: Schmollers Jahrbuch, Jg. 134, H. 2, S. 149-182.

Abstract

"Der gesetzliche Mindestlohn in Höhe von 8,50 Euro je Stunde wird zum 1. Januar 2015 in Deutschland eingeführt. Dieser Beitrag fasst die vorliegenden nationalen und internationalen Erfahrungen mit Mindestlöhnen zusammen. Dabei werden die Beschäftigungs- und Verteilungswirkungen sowie die fiskalischen Effekte mit Hilfe des IZA-Mikrosimulationsmodells abgeschätzt und mit Ergebnissen aus aktuellen Studien verglichen. Es zeigt sich, dass die Ergebnisse aus der Analyse von Branchenmindestlöhnen und aus Mikrosimulationen trotz aufgezeigter Problempotenziale keine abschließende Beurteilung erlauben. Deshalb plädieren die Autoren für eine systematische und unabhängige wissenschaftliche Begleitforschung und Evaluation des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns. Dies lässt Politik und Wählern eine faire Option für eine Kurskorrektur." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Belman, Dale & Paul J. Wolfson (2014): What does the minimum wage do? Kalamazoo: Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 470 S.

Abstract

"This book attempts to make sense of the research on the minimum wage that began in the early 1990s. The authors look at who is affected by the minimum wage, both directly and indirectly; which observable, measurable variables (e.g., wages, employment, school enrollment) the minimum wage influences; how long it takes for the variables to respond to the minimum wage and the size and desirability of the effect; why the minimum wage has the results it does (and not others); and the workers most likely to be affected by changes to the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cadena, Brian C. (2014): Recent immigrants as labor market arbitrageurs. Evidence from the minimum wage. In: Journal of urban economics, Jg. 80, H. March, S. 1-12. DOI:10.1016/j.jue.2013.10.002

Abstract

"This paper investigates the local labor supply effects of changes to the minimum wage by examining the response of low-skilled immigrants' location decisions. Canonical models emphasize the importance of labor mobility when evaluating the employment effects of the minimum wage; yet few studies address this outcome directly. Low-skilled immigrant populations shift toward labor markets with stagnant minimum wages, and this result is robust to a number of alternative interpretations. This mobility provides behavior-based evidence in favor of a non-trivial negative employment effect of the minimum wage. Further, it reduces the estimated demand elasticity using teens; employment losses among native teens are substantially larger in states that have historically attracted few immigrant residents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Centeno, Mário, Cláudia Duarte & Álvaro A. Novo (2014): The impact of the minimum wage on match stability. (IZA discussion paper 8703), Bonn, 26 S.

Abstract

"We explore increases in the nominal minimum wage in a difference-in-differences setting to estimate match survival wage elasticity. The elasticity is negative and larger than one for matches directly affected by minimum wage increases, those with paying below the new minimum wage. The impact of the minimum wage is stronger for young workers and the manufacturing sector, groups with a large and increasing share of low-wage workers. Given the low-wage mobility in the Portuguese labor market and the large share of workers directly affected by the minimum wage increase (reaching almost 18%), these results call for a careful analysis of the set of policies that interfere with low-wage employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Clemens, Jeffrey & Michael Wither (2014): The minimum wage and the Great Recession. Evidence of effects on the employment and income trajectories of low-skilled workers. (NBER working paper 20724), Cambrige, Mass., 70 S. DOI:10.3386/w20724

Abstract

"We estimate the minimum wage's effects on low-skilled workers' employment and income trajectories. Our approach exploits two dimensions of the data we analyze. First, we compare workers in states that were bound by recent increases in the federal minimum wage to workers in states that were not. Second, we use 12 months of baseline data to divide low-skilled workers into a 'target' group, whose baseline wage rates were directly affected, and a 'within-state control' group with slightly higher baseline wage rates. Over three subsequent years, we find that binding minimum wage increases had significant, negative effects on the employment and income growth of targeted workers. Lost income reflects contributions from employment declines, increased probabilities of working without pay (i.e., an 'internship' effect), and lost wage growth associated with reductions in experience accumulation. Methodologically, we show that our approach identifies targeted workers more precisely than the demographic and industrial proxies used regularly in the literature. Additionally, because we identify targeted workers on a population-wide basis, our approach is relatively well suited for extrapolating to estimates of the minimum wage's effects on aggregate employment. Over the late 2000s, the average effective minimum wage rose by 30 percent across the United States. We estimate that these minimum wage increases reduced the national employment-to-population ratio by 0.7 percentage point." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Davis, Abigail, Donald Hirsch, Rie Iwanaga, Masami Iwata, Junko Shigekawa, Yuka Uzuki & Atsuhiro Yamada (2014): Comparing the minimum income standard in the UK and Japan. Methodology and outcome. In: Social policy and society, Jg. 13, H. 1, S. 89-101. DOI:10.1017/S147474641300033X

Abstract

"Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research involves an innovative methodology that combines consensual decisions made through discussion by members of the public, supported by input from experts. MIS addresses questions about income adequacy, and in particular, what is the income that people need in order to reach a minimum socially acceptable standard of living. The first MIS for Britain was published in the UK in 2008, and in 2010 researchers from Japan and the UK began to collaborate on developing a comparable Minimum Income Standard for Japan. This article discusses the differences and similarities between the UK and Japanese MIS. It looks at the challenges of applying the methodology in a very different setting and compares the results of the research in the UK and in Japan. Although there are notable differences in the lists of goods and services that comprise the budgets, there are also some striking similarities. This research suggests that the MIS methodology offers an approach that can be used in different countries to inform discussions on contemporary living standards and societal norms, and to enable international comparisons to be drawn." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dickens, Richard, Rebecca Riley & David Wilkinson (2014): The UK minimum wage at 22 years of age. A regression discontinuity approach. In: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A, Statistics in Society, Jg. 177, H. 1, S. 95-114. DOI:10.1111/rssa.12003

Abstract

"A regression discontinuity approach is used to analyse the effect of the legislated increase in the UK national minimum wage that occurs at age 22 years on various labour market outcomes. Using data from the Labour Force Survey we find an increase of 3 - 4 percentage points in the rate of employment of low skilled individuals. Unemployment declines among men and inactivity among women. We find no such effect before the national minimum wage was introduced and no robust impacts at age 21 or 23 years. Our results are robust to a range of specification tests." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Giulietti, Corrado (2014): Is the minimum wage a pull factor for immigrants? In: ILR review, Jg. 67, H. Supplement, S. 649-674. DOI:10.1177/00197939140670S308

Abstract

"This paper studies the impact of the minimum wage on immigration. A framework is presented in which inflows of immigrants are a function of the expected wage growth induced by the minimum wage. The analysis focuses on the US minimum wage increase of 1996 and 1997, using data from the Current Population Survey and the census. The estimation strategy consists of using the fraction of affected workers as the instrumental variable for the growth of expected wages. The findings show that States in which the growth of expected wages was relatively large (around 20%) exhibit inflow rate increases that are four to five times larger than States in which average wages grew 10% less. Placebo tests confirm that the policy did not affect the immigration of high wage earners." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Grimshaw, Damian, Gerhard Bosch & Jill Rubery (2014): Minimum wages and collective bargaining: what types of pay bargaining can foster positive pay equity outcomes? In: BJIR, Jg. 52, H. 3, S. 470-498. DOI:10.1111/bjir.12021

Abstract

"Using data from interviews and collective agreements in five European countries, this article analyses the relationship between collective bargaining and the minimum wage. In a context of changing minimum wage policy and competing government objectives, the findings illuminate how pay bargaining strategies of trade unions and employers shape the pay equity effects of minimum wage policy. Two general forms are identified: direct responses to a changing national minimum wage, and responses to the absence or weakness of a national minimum wage. The article explains how particular intersections of minimum wage policy and collective bargaining, together with country and sector contingencies, shape the form of pay bargaining and pay equity outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hanson, Andrew & Zackary Hawley (2014): The $10.10 minimum wage proposal. An evaluation across states. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 35, H. 4, S. 323-345. DOI:10.1007/s12122-014-9190-8

Abstract

"This paper offers state-level estimates of job loss from increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour in 2016. Given the vast differences in nominal wages across geography, a federal increase in minimum wage that is not indexed to local wage levels will have a differential impacts across states. The proposed minimum wage would be binding for between 17 and 18 % of workers nationally. We estimate coverage rates ranging from just 4 % in Washington D.C. to as high as 51 % in Puerto Rico, with 13 states having at least 20 % of the employed population covered by the proposal. Using labor demand elasticities from previous empirical work, these coverage rates imply national employment losses between 550,000 and 1.5 million workers. The range of state estimates shows that states are differentially impacted, with high-end loss estimates ranging between 2.8 % of covered employees in Arkansas to over 41 % in Puerto Rico. Sensitivity analysis highlights that using even a simple methodology with relatively few assumptions for estimating employment loss from minimum wage changes is subject to a high degree of uncertainty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hoffman, Saul D. (2014): Employment effects of the 2009 minimum wage increase. New evidence from state-based comparisons of workers by skill level. In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Jg. 14, H. 3, S. 695-721. DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2012-0004

Abstract

"In July, 2009, when the US Federal minimum wage was increased from $6.55 to $7.25, individuals in nearly one-third of all states were unaffected, since the state minimum wage already exceeded $7.25. We use this variation to make comparisons of the employment of low-skill workers with their peers across states and with workers within states who were arguably unaffected by the increase, using DID and DIDID methods. Our data come from the 2009 Current Population Survey, 4 and 5 months before and after the increase. We find little evidence of negative employment effects for teens or less-educated adults. Further control for demographic characteristics and state fixed effects have relatively small effects on the size and significance of estimated effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Martins, Pedro S. (2014): 30,000 minimum wages. The economic effects of collective bargaining extensions. (IZA discussion paper 8540), Bonn, 36 S.

Abstract

"Several countries extend collective bargaining agreements to entire sectors, therefore binding non-subscriber workers and employers. These extensions may address coordination issues but may also distort competition by imposing sector-specific minimum wages and other work conditions that are not appropriate for many firms. In this paper, we analyse the impact of such extensions along several margins drawing on firm-level monthly data for Portugal, a country where extensions have been widespread until recently. We find that both formal employment and wage bills in the relevant sector fall, on average, by 2% - and by 25% more across small firms - over the four months after an extension is issued. These results are driven by both reduced hirings and increased firm closures. On the other hand, informal work, not subject to labour law or extensions, tends to increase. Our findings are robust to several checks, including a falsification exercise based on extensions that were announced but not implemented." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Neumark, David, J.M. Ian Salas & William Wascher (2014): Revisiting the minimum wage-employment debate. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater? In: ILR review, Jg. 67, H. Supplement, S. 608-648. DOI:10.1177/00197939140670S307

Abstract

"We revisit the minimum wage-employment debate, which is as old as the Department of Labor. In particular, we assess new studies claiming that the standard panel data approach used in much of the 'new minimum wage research' is flawed because it fails to account for spatial heterogeneity. These new studies use research designs intended to control for this heterogeneity and conclude that minimum wages in the United States have not reduced employment. We explore the ability of these research designs to isolate reliable identifying information and test the untested assumptions in this new research about the construction of better control groups. Our evidence points to serious problems with these research designs. We conclude that the evidence still shows that minimum wages pose a trade-off of higher wages for some against job losses for others, and that policymakers need to bear this trade-off in mind when making decisions about increasing the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Neumark, David, John Michael Ian S. Salas & William Wascher (2014): More on recent evidence on the effects of minimum wages in the United States. In: IZA journal of labor policy, Jg. 3, S. 1-26. DOI:10.1186/2193-9004-3-24

Abstract

"A central issue in estimating the employment effects of minimum wages is the appropriate comparison group for states (or other regions) that adopt or increase the minimum wage. In recent research, Dube et al. (2010) and Allegretto et al. (2011) argue that past U.S. research is flawed because it does not restrict comparison areas to those that are geographically proximate and fails to control for changes in low-skill labor markets that are correlated with minimum wage increases. They argue that using 'local controls' establishes that higher minimum wages do not reduce employment of less-skilled workers. In Neumark et al. (2014), we present evidence that their methods fail to isolate more reliable identifying information and lead to incorrect conclusions. Moreover, for subsets of treatment groups where the identifying variation they use is supported by the data, the evidence is consistent with past findings of disemployment effects. Allegretto et al. (2013) have challenged our conclusions, continuing the debate regarding some key issues regarding choosing comparison groups for estimating minimum wage effects. We explain these issues and evaluate the evidence. In general, we find little basis for their analyses and conclusions, and argue that the best evidence still points to job loss from minimum wages for very low-skilled workers - in particular, for teens." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Papps, Kerry (2014): Career wage profiles and the minimum wage. (IZA discussion paper 8421), Bonn, 21 S.

Abstract

"A model of on-the-job training in the presence of a minimum wage is presented. This predicts that the minimum wage will have a negative effect on a worker's subsequent wage growth when the labour market is competitive but a U-shaped effect when it is not competitive. This prediction is then tested using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings in the United Kingdom. Workers who were affected by the minimum wage before age 22 are found to have significantly lower wage growth later in life than others, but only if they worked on jobs that were not covered by a collective labour agreement. Evidence suggests that this difference in wage growth reflects differences in productivity between workers. The results reconcile previous theoretical predictions by Becker and Acemoglu and Pischke." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sabia, Joseph J. (2014): The effects of minimum wages over the business cycle. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 35, H. 3, S. 227-245. DOI:10.1007/s12122-014-9180-x

Abstract

"This study examines whether the low-skilled employment effects of minimum wage increases differ over the state business cycle. Controlling for spatial heterogeneity via state-specific productivity shocks to the low-skilled sector and state-specific non-linear time trends, the results suggest that minimum wage increases between 1989 and 2012 reduce low-skilled employment more during recessions than expansions. Estimated employment elasticities with respect to the minimum wage range from 0 to -0.2 during state economic expansions, but reach as high as -0.3 during troughs in the business cycle." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulten, Thorsten (2014): Mindestlohnregime in Europa ... und was Deutschland von ihnen lernen kann. (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Studie), Bonn, 16 S.

Abstract

"- Ab dem 1. Januar 2015 soll in Deutschland ein allgemeiner gesetzlicher Mindestlohn gelten. Wie das neue deutsche Mindestlohnregime genau aussehen wird, muss jedoch erst im Gesetzgebungsverfahren definiert werden.
- In Deutschland würde ein Mindestlohn von 8,50 Euro noch unterhalb des kaufkraftbereinigten Mindestlohns in Großbritannien und damit am unteren Rand der 'Spitzengruppe' von sieben europäischen Ländern liegen.
- Die gesetzlichen Mindestlöhne in Europa liegen allesamt unterhalb der so genannten 'Niedriglohnschwelle'. In vielen EU-Staaten gehen die gesetzlichen Mindestlöhne nicht einmal über das Niveau von 'Armutslöhnen' hinaus. Deutschland weist bislang einen der größten Niedriglohnsektoren in Europa auf.
- Die in Deutschland bei Mindestlohngegnern beliebte 'Politisierungsthese', wonach Mindestlohnerhöhungen als Wahlgeschenke verteilt werden, lässt sich nicht belegen. Eher schon finden sich Anzeichen für eine 'Politisierung von rechts', bei der oft eher konservative Regierungen sich dadurch zu profilieren suchen, dass sie den Mindestlohn für einen längeren Zeitraum nicht mehr anpassen.
- Sollte es in Deutschland zu einem Anpassungsmechanismus kommen, der eher kleine Anpassungsschritte begünstigt, dann läuft das neue deutsche Mindestlohnregime Gefahr, am Ende nur relativ bescheidene strukturelle Wirkungen sicherstellen zu können." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schulten, Thorsten (2014): WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2014 - stagnierende Mindestlöhne. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 67, H. 2, S. 132-139. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2014-2-132

Abstract

"Der WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2014 gibt einen aktuellen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Mindestlohnpolitik in Europa und ausgewählten außereuropäischen Staaten. Unter Auswertung der WSI-Mindestlohndatenbank werden neueste Daten zur Höhe und Entwicklung gesetzlicher Mindestlöhne präsentiert. In vielen Ländern lässt sich bereits seit einigen Jahren eine eher stagnierende Mindestlohnentwicklung beobachten. Dieser Trend hat sich auch im Jahr 2013 fortgesetzt. Allerdings mehren sich mittlerweile die Stimmen, die für die nähere Zukunft eine deutlich kräftigere Mindestlohnerhöhung einfordern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Zavodny, Madeline (2014): Who benefits from the minimum wage - natives or migrants? There is no evidence that increases in the minimum wage have hurt immigrants. (IZA world of labor 98), Bonn, 10 S. DOI:10.15185/izawol.98

Abstract

"According to economic theory, a minimum wage reduces the number of low-wage jobs and increases the number of available workers, allowing greater hiring selectivity. More competition for a smaller number of low-wage jobs will disadvantage immigrants if employers perceive them as less skilled than native-born workers - and vice versa. Studies indicate that a higher minimum wage does not hurt immigrants, but there is no consensus on whether immigrants benefit at the expense of natives. Studies also reach disparate conclusions on whether higher minimum wages attract or repel immigrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Addison, John T., McKinley L. Blackburn & Chad D. Cotti (2013): Minimum wage increases in a recessionary environment. In: Labour economics, Jg. 23, H. August, S. 30-39. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2013.02.004

Abstract

"Do seemingly large minimum-wage increases in an environment of deep recession produce clearer evidence of disemployment than is often observed in the modern minimum wage literature? This paper uses three data sets to examine the employment effects of the most recent increases in the U.S. minimum wage. We focus on two high-risk groups - restaurant-and-bar employees and teenagers - for the years 2005 - 2010. Although the evidence for a general disemployment effect is not uniform, estimates do suggest the presence of a negative minimum wage effect in states hardest hit by the recession." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Allegretto, Sylvia, Arindrajit Dube, Michael Reich & Ben Zipperer (2013): Credible research designs for minimum wage studies. (IZA discussion paper 7638), Bonn, 79 S.

Abstract

"Over the past two decades, the states that experienced larger minimum wage increases have been spatially clustered. We show that these states also systematically differed from other states with respect to the depth of their business cycles, growth in upper-half wage inequality, increased job polarization, and political-economy. We present estimates of minimum wage effects for teens and restaurant workers using five datasets and six different approaches to controlling for spatial confounds. We show that the disemployment results suggested by the canonical two-way fixed effects model are spurious, as these specifications generally fail falsification tests for pre-existing trends. Using policy variation within local areas (county pairs, commuting zones) or regions, as well as inclusion of state-specific trends, typically renders the employment effect small in magnitude and statistically indistinguishable from zero. We additionally find that employment effects are close to zero when we account for heterogeneity using lagged dependent variables and dynamic panel models. We also present evidence using the synthetic control estimator: pooling across state minimum wage increases between 1997 and 2007, the synthetic control estimate shows no evidence of job losses for teens. We confirm the validity of local controls by demonstrating that synthetic control weights decline with distance: a donor state 100 miles away receives a weight seven times as large as a state 2,000 miles away. We also directly show that neighbouring counties are more similar in terms of covariates than are other counties. These findings refute the claims made in a recent paper by Neumark, Salas and Wascher that criticize the use of local controls. We conclude by proposing some guidelines for assessing convincing research designs for minimum wage studies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Aumann, Annemarie (2013): Ausgewählte Probleme des polnischen Mindestlohns. In: Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Arbeits- und Sozialrecht, Jg. 27, H. 1, S. 18-31.

Abstract

"Vor dem Hintergrund der in Deutschland anhaltenden Diskussion' über die Einführung eines branchenübergreifenden gesetzlichen Mindestentgelts lohnt der Blick über die Landesgrenzen hinaus auf die Lösungen, die in anderen Staaten gewählt wurden. Weltweit haben mehr als 100 Staaten einen gesetzlichen Mindestlohn;2 dazu gehören auch 21 von 28 Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union. Die Höhe des Mindestlohns variiert dabei innerhalb der Union beträchtlich - die Spanne reicht von 0,80 EURO/Stunde in Bulgarien bis 10,41 EURO/Stunde in Luxemburg.3 Auch in Polen hat der gesetzliche branchenübergreifende Mindestlohn eine lange Tradition. Während er vor 1989 künstlich auf niedrigem Niveau gehalten wurde, weil er hauptsächlich als Referenzgröße für die Berechnung von Löhnen in staatlichen Unternehmen diente und ein Mechanismus zur Indexbindung in Inflationszeiten war, ist er heute ein wichtiges Instrument staatlicher Arbeitspolitik.4 Der polnische Gesetzgeber hat sich dabei für einen Festsetzungsmechanismus entschieden, der in jüngerer Zeit Gegenstand der Fachdiskussion geworden ist. Rechtsgrundlagen, Ausgestaltung und Kritik dieses Modells sind Gegenstand des vorliegenden Beitrags." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Avouyi-Dovi, Sanvi, Denis Fougère & Erwan Gautier (2013): Wage rigidity, collective bargaining and the minimum wage. Evidence from French agreement data. In: The Review of Economics and Statistics, Jg. 95, H. 4, S. 1337-1351. DOI:10.1162/REST_a_00329

Abstract

"Using data sets on wage agreements at both industry and firm levels in France, we document stylized facts on wage stickiness. The average duration of wages is a little less than one year, and 10% of wages are modified each month by a wage agreement. The frequency of wage change agreements is staggered over the year, but the frequency of effective wage changes is seasonal. The national minimum wage has a significant impact on the probability and the seasonality of wage changes. Negotiated wage increases are correlated with inflation, minimum wage increases, and firm profitability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bhorat, Haroon, Ravi Kanbur & Natasha Mayet (2013): A note on measuring the depth of minimum wage violation. In: Labour, Jg. 27, H. 2, S. 192-197. DOI:10.1111/labr.12010

Abstract

"In the empirical literature on minimum wage enforcement, the standard approach is to measure the number of violations, not their depth. In this paper we present a family of violation indices that, by analogy with poverty indices, can emphasize the depth of violation to different degrees. The standard measure is a special case of this family of indices, but other members of the family highlight the depth of violation. We present an application to South Africa to show that the depth of violation matters, and is not captured by the standard measure in actual situations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Boffy-Ramirez, Ernest (2013): Minimum wages, earnings, and migration. In: IZA journal of migration, Jg. 2, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1186/2193-9039-2-17

Abstract

"Does increasing a state's minimum wage induce migration into the state? Previous literature has shown mobility in response to welfare benefit differentials across states, yet few have examined the minimum wage as a cause of mobility. Focusing on low-skilled immigrants, this paper empirically examines the effect of minimum wages on location decisions within the United States. This paper expands upon minimum wage and immigration literatures by demonstrating that the choice of destination is sensitive to minimum wage changes, and that the effects are highly dependent on the number of years an immigrant has resided in the U.S." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brochu, Pierre & David A. Green (2013): The impact of minimum wages on labour market transitions. In: The economic journal, Jg. 123, H. 573, S. 1203-1235. DOI:10.1111/ecoj.12032

Abstract

"We investigate differences in labour market transition rates between high and low minimum wage regimes using Canadian data spanning 1979 - 2008. We find that higher minimum wages result in lower hiring rates but also lower job separation rates. Importantly, the reduced separation rates are due mainly to reductions in layoffs, occur in the first six months of a job and are present for unskilled workers of all ages. Thus, jobs in higher minimum wage regimes are more stable but harder to get. For older workers, these effects are almost exactly offsetting, resulting in little impact on the employment rate." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cette, Gilbert, Valérie Chouard & Gregory Verdugo (2013): Minimum wage and the average wage in France. A circular relationship? In: Economics Bulletin, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 1832-1839.

Abstract

"This paper investigates whether increases in the minimum wage in France have the same impact on the average wage when intended to preserve the purchasing power of the minimum wage as when intended to raise it. We find that the impact of the minimum wage on the average wage is strong, but differs depending on the indexation factor. We also find some empirical evidence of circularity between the average wage and the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Coomer, Nicole M. & Walter J. Wessels (2013): The effect of the minimum wage on covered teenage employment. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 34, H. 3, S. 253-280. DOI:10.1007/s12122-013-9160-6

Abstract

"Unlike previous studies on the minimum wage, which focused on its effect on total teenage employment, we examine its effect on covered employment. A covered job was defined to be one paying the minimum wage or more. Using contemporary wages to classify workers this way may inflate the estimated effect of minimum wages on covered employment. To avoid this bias, covered jobs are identified using a logit procedure run over years in which the minimum age was not increased. We find that minimum wages reduced covered employment significantly more than total employment. We also show that covered employment may be overstated in the period following an increase in the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dube, Arindrajit (2013): Minimum wages and aggregate job growth. Causal effect or statistical artifact? (IZA discussion paper 7674), Bonn, 13 S.

Abstract

"A recent paper by Meer and West argues that minimum wages reduce aggregate employment growth, and that this relationship is masked by looking at employment levels. I also find a negative association between minimum wages and aggregate employment growth using both the Business Dynamics Statistics and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages datasets, and it is sizable for some time periods. However, I show that this negative association is present in exactly the wrong sectors. It is particularly strong in manufacturing which hires very few minimum wage workers. At the same time, there is no such association in retail, or in accommodation and food services - which together hire nearly 2/3 of all minimum wage workers. These results indicate that the negative association between minimum wages and aggregate employment growth does not represent a causal relationship. Rather the association stems from an inability to account for differences between high and low minimum wage states and the timing of minimum wage increases. Consistent with that interpretation, when I use bordering counties to construct more credible control groups, I find no such negative correlation between minimum wages and overall employment growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dube, Arindrajit, T. William Lester & Michael Reich (2013): Minimum wage shocks, employment flows and labor market frictions. (IRLE working paper 2013-149), Berkeley, CA, 63 S.

Abstract

"We provide the first estimates of the effects of minimum wages on employment flows in the U.S. labor market, identifying the impact using policy discontinuities at state borders. We find that minimum wages have a sizable negative effect on employment flows but not stocks: separations and accessions fall among affected workers. We interpret our findings using a job-ladder model, in which minimum wage increases can reduce job-to-job transitions. We find that a standard calibration of the model generates predicted relative magnitudes of the employment stock and flow elasticities that are very close to our reduced-form estimates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Epstein, Gil S. & Odelia Heizler-Cohen (2013): Minimum wages and the creation of illegal migration. In: Economics Bulletin, Jg. 33, H. 1, S. 434-441.

Abstract

"In this paper, we explore employers' decisions regarding the employment of legal and illegal immigrants in the presence of endogenous adjustment cost, minimum wages and an enforcement budget. We show that increasing the employment of legal foreign workers will increase the number of illegal immigrants which will replace the employment of the local population and thus creating illegal migration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fidrmuc, Jan & J. D. Tena (2013): National minimum wage and employment of young workers in the UK. (CESifo working paper 4286), München, 30 S.

Abstract

"We analyze the impact of the UK national minimum wage (NMW) on the employment of young workers. The previous literature found little evidence of an adverse impact of the NMW on the UK labor market. We focus on the age-related increases in the NMW at 18 and 22 years of age. Using regression discontinuity design, we fail to find any effect of turning 22. However, we find a significant and negative employment effect for male workers at 21, which we believe to be an anticipation effect. We also find a negative effect for both genders upon turning 18. The age-related NMW increases may have an adverse effect on employment of young workers, with this effect possibly occurring already well in advance of reaching the threshold age." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Furåker, Bengt & Kristina Loven Selden (2013): Trade union cooperation on statutory minimum wages? A study of European trade union positions. In: Transfer, Jg. 19, H. 4, S. 507-520. DOI:10.1177/1024258913501766

Abstract

"Legislation on minimum wages exists in most EU Member States, but European trade unions have very different views on it. Nordic unions are especially negative, whereas many other union organizations are strongly positive. The present article examines these differences, explores how they can be understood and discusses their possible consequences for transnational union cooperation on issues related to statutory minimum wages. It is primarily based on survey and interview data." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Garnero, Andrea, Stephan Kampelmann & François Rycx (2013): Sharp teeth or empty mouths? Revisiting the minimum wage bite with sectoral data. (IZA discussion paper 7351), Bonn, 36 S.

Abstract

"The paper explores the link between different institutional features of minimum wage systems and the minimum wage bite. We notably address the striking absence of studies on sectoral-level minima and exploit unique data covering 17 European countries and information from more than 1100 collective bargaining agreements. Results provide evidence for a neglected trade-off: systems with bargained sectoral-level minima are associated with higher Kaitz indices than systems with statutory floors, but also with more individuals actually paid below prevailing minima. Higher collective bargaining coverage can to some extent reduce this trade-off between sharp teeth (high wage floors) and empty mouths (noncompliance/noncoverage)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giuliano, Laura (2013): Minimum wage effects on employment, substitution, and the teenage labor supply. Evidence from personnel data. In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 31, H. 1, S. 155-194. DOI:10.1086/666921

Abstract

"Using personnel data froma large US retail firm, I examine the firm's response to the 1996 federal minimum wage increase. Compulsory increases in average wages had negative but statistically insignificant effects on overall employment. However, increases in the relative wages of teenagers led to significant increases in the relative employment of teenagers, especially younger and more affluent teenagers. Further analysis suggests a pattern consistent with noncompetitive models. Where the legislation affected mainly the wages of teenagers and so was only moderately binding, it led both to higher teenage labor market participation and to higher absolute employment of teenagers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gorry, Aspen (2013): Minimum wages and youth unemployment. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 64, H. November, S. 57-75. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.08.004

Abstract

"This paper constructs a labor search model to explore the effects of minimum wages on youth unemployment. To capture the gradual decline in unemployment for young workers as they age, the standard search model is extended so that workers gain experience when employed. Experienced workers have higher average productivity and lower job finding and separation rates that match wage and worker flow data. In this environment, minimum wages can have large effects on unemployment because they interact with a worker's ability to gain job experience. The increase in minimum wages between 2007 and 2009 can account for a 0.8 percentage point increase in the steady state unemployment rate and a 2.8 percentage point increase in unemployment for 15-24 year old workers in the model parameterized to simulate outcomes of high school educated workers. Minimum wages can also help explain the high rates of youth unemployment in France compared to the United States." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hoffeld, Wolfgang (2013): Mindestlöhne und X-Effizienz. (International vergleichende Schriften zur Personalökonomie und Arbeitspolitik 22), München: Hampp, 165 S.

Abstract

"Über das Für und Wider gesetzlicher Mindestlöhne wird seit jeher sowohl auf politischer als auch auf wissenschaftlicher Ebene intensiv diskutiert. Für die Kritiker eines gesetzlichen Mindestlohnes stellt der potenzielle Anstieg der Arbeitslosigkeit das Hauptargument gegen gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Lohnuntergrenzen dar. Allerdings deutet die empirische Evidenz der vergangenen Jahre immer seltener auf den intuitiv zu erwartenden negativen Zusammenhang zwischen Mindestlöhnen und Beschäftigung hin. Insbesondere konnten bislang keine substanziellen negativen Effekte der Mindestlohneinführung in Großbritannien im Jahr 1999 identifiziert werden. Im Vordergrund der Untersuchung steht die Hypothese, dass die Mindestlohneinführung in Großbritannien zu einer Erhöhung der Effizienz in der Produktion der stärker betroffenen Unternehmen geführt hat. Diese Hypothese stützt sich auf das sogenannte 'Schock-Argument' des Mindestlohnes, wonach eine Mindestlohneinführung oder eine Mindestlohnerhöhung als exogener Schock für die betroffenen Unternehmen interpretiert wird. Anhand von Unternehmensdaten aus der Datenbank FAME sowie eines speziellen Datensatzes zur Branche der britischen Pflegeheime wird die Frage nach einer effizienzsteigernden Wirkung der Mindestlohneinführung in Großbritannien mithilfe der Data-Envelopment-Analyse untersucht, die erstmals in diesem Kontext angewendet wird. Die Ergebnisse lassen auf einen positiven Einfluss des Mindestlohnes auf die Effizienz der betroffenen Unternehmen schließen. Die Arbeit leistet somit einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur Erklärung des Phänomens beschäftigungsneutraler bindender Mindestlöhne." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Jones, M. K., R. J. Jones, P. L. Latreille, P. D. Murphy & P. J. Sloane (2013): A regional analysis of flows into and out of the UK National Minimum Wage. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 45, H. 21, S. 3074-3087. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2012.695069

Abstract

"This article utilizes the panel element of the UK Labour Force Survey (LFS) to identify for individual regions total inflows and outflows and hazards for those individuals paid at or below the National Minimum Wage (NMW). In particular, it examines the extent and direction of the correlation between low-pay inflows and outflows and the economic cycle. Further, it examines the impact of regional variations in the bite of the NMW on regional flows into and out of the NMW." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kalenkoski, Charlene M. & Donald J. Lacombe (2013): Minimum wages and teen employment. A spatial panel approach. In: Papers in regional science, Jg. 92, H. 2, S. 407-417. DOI:10.1111/j.1435-5957.2012.00453.x

Abstract

"The authors employ spatial econometrics techniques and annual averages data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 1990-2004 to examine how changes in the minimum wage affect teen employment. Spatial econometrics techniques account for the fact that employment is correlated across states. The authors find a combined direct and indirect effect of minimum wages on teen employment to be -2.1 per cent for a 10 per cent increase in the real effective minimum wage. Ignoring spatial correlation underestimates the magnitude of the effect of minimum wages on teen employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kambayashi, Ryo, Daiji Kawaguchi & Ken Yamada (2013): Minimum wage in a deflationary economy. The Japanese experience, 1994 - 2003. In: Labour economics, Jg. 24, H. October, S. 264-276. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2013.09.005

Abstract

"The statutory minimum wage in Japan has increased continuously for a few decades until the early 2000s even during a period of deflation. This paper examines the impact of the minimum wage on wage and employment outcomes under this unusual circumstance. We find that the minimum-wage increase resulted in the compression of the lower tail of the wage distribution among women and that the wage compression is only partially attributable to the loss of employment. The continuous increase in the minimum wage accounts for one half of the reduction in lower-tail inequality that occurred among women during the period between 1994 and 2003." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Khamis, Melanie (2013): Does the minimum wage have a higher impact on the informal than on the formal labor market? Evidence from quasi-experiments. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 45, H. 4, S. 477-495. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2011.605763

Abstract

"This article investigates a puzzle in the literature on labour markets in developing countries: labour legislations not only have an impact on the formal labour market but also an impact on the informal sector. It has even been argued that the impact on the informal sector in the case of the minimum wage is stronger than on the formal sector. Using quasi-experiments of minimum wage changes and thereby exploiting geographical variation of the minimum wage bite, I find evidence for this hypothesis. Informal workers, workers without social security contribution, experienced significant wage increases when the minimum wage was raised while formal workers did not. This result highlights that noncompliance with one labour legislation, the social security contribution, does not necessarily imply noncompliance to other labour laws such as the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Laporšek, Suzana (2013): Minimum wage effects on youth employment in the European Union. In: Applied Economics Letters, Jg. 20, H. 14, S. 1288-1292. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2013.799752

Abstract

"The purpose of this article is to estimate minimum wage effects on youth employment in the European Union (EU). The analysis employs a panel regression method with fixed effects and uses data for 18 EU member states with statutory minimum wage over the period 1996 to 2011. The analysis is restricted to teenage workers between 15 and 19 years of age and young workers between 20 and 24 years of age. The study finds a negative, statistically significant impact of minimum wage on youth employment, by which the disemployment effect appears to be stronger for teenage workers. The effect remains negative and statistically significant also when controlled for other labour market institutions. Taking into account empirical results, we can conclude that EU countries should be more cautious when setting up minimum wages for young workers, as disemployment effects may have been downplayed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Manning, Alan (2013): Minimum wages: A view from the UK. In: Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Jg. 14, H. 1/2, S. 57-66. DOI:10.1111/pers.12004

Abstract

"In the past economists were generally hostile to the idea of a minimum wage regarding those who supported the policy as being economically illiterate. But the balance of professional opinion has also shifted. In this article I will describe the evidence that has led to this position, largely seen through the experience of the UK with the introduction of its National Minimum Wage (NMW) in 1999. The article will set out a brief history of minimum wages in the UK, then summarize the evidence on the impact of the NMW on employment and wage inequality and then briefly describe the lessons that might be learned for Germany." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Muravyev, Alexander & Aleksey Oshchepkov (2013): Minimum wages, unemployment and informality. Evidence from panel data on Russian regions. (IZA discussion paper 7878), Bonn, 36 S.

Abstract

"This paper revisits labor market effects of the minimum wage by taking advantage of a unique institutional setting and rich data from Russia that cover 89 regions over 10 years, from 2001 to 2010. Our empirical analysis draws on the methodology introduced by Neumark and Wascher, in which labor market outcomes at the regional level are related to the relative minimum wage (captured by the Kaitz index) in a panel setting. We find that the minimum wage raises unemployment among young workers aged 15 to 24. In contrast, there is no evidence of disemployment effects of the minimum wage for workers aged 25-72, including women. In addition, minimum wage hikes are associated with an increase in informal employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nguyen, Cuong Viet (2013): The impact of minimum wages on employment of low-wage workers. Evidence from Vietnam. In: Economics of Transition, Jg. 21, H. 3, S. 583-615. DOI:10.1111/ecot.12022

Abstract

"This study provides empirical evidence on the impact of a minimum wage increase on employment of workers in the formal sector who have wages below the minimum level in Vietnam. Using the difference-in-differences with propensity score matching and the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys of 2004 and 2006, the article finds that the minimum wage increase in 2005 reduced the proportion of workers having a formal sector job among low-wage workers. Most workers who lost formal sector jobs became self-employed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rani, Uma, Patrick Belser, Martin Oelz & Setareh Ranjbar (2013): Minimum wage coverage and compliance in developing countries. In: International Labour Review, Jg. 152, H. 3/4, S. 381-410. DOI:10.1111/j.1564-913X.2013.00197.x

Abstract

"Using household and labour force survey data from 11 developing countries, the authors calculate rates of minimum wage compliance for formal/ informal employees covered by current legislation and assess the average 'depth' of violations. Though compliance is negatively related to the ratio of minimum to median wages, countries with a national minimum wage set at a meaningful level typically achieve higher compliance rates than countries with occupational or industry- specific minimum wage systems. However, better compliance - especially for women, ethnic groups, and unskilled and informal workers - also depends on contextualized yet comprehensive minimum wage policies combining union/employer involvement, awareness-raising and credible enforcement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Riley, Rebecca (2013): Modelling demand for low skilled/low paid labour. Exploring the employment trade-offs of a living wage. (NIESR discussion paper 404), London, 37 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyses labour demand for low skill/low pay labour in order to explore the potential employment trade-offs associated with moving to a Living Wage. Using industry sector panel data we model demand for labour classified into 5 groups defined by age and highest educational qualification. Low pay is most prevalent amongst the less skilled and the young. Amongst the 11 market sector industry groups we consider, the three sectors that would face the largest rise in their wage bill were all employers to sign up to the Living Wage are: Wholesale & Retail, Hotels & Catering; Other Community, Social & Personal Services; and less skill intensive manufacturing industries. Our calculations suggest that, conditional on the level of output and worker effort, these cost increases would reduce employers' demand for young low-skilled employees in the private sector by approximately 300,000. The analysis highlights the importance of allowing for labour substitution in considering the employment demand effects of exogenous shifts in wages. We find that in aggregate the reduction in conditional labour demand with the Living Wage is around 160,000; this is around half the reduction in the demand for young lower-skilled employees because employers substitute younger with more experienced workers. The number of employees who would see their earnings rise with a Living Wage far outweighs the estimated reduction in labour demand." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schmitt, John (2013): Why does the minimum wage have no discernible effect on employment? Washington, DC, 28 S.

Abstract

"The employment effect of the minimum wage is one of the most studied topics in all of economics. This report examines the most recent wave of this research - roughly since 2000 - to determine the best current estimates of the impact of increases in the minimum wage on the employment prospects of low-wage workers. The weight of that evidence points to little or no employment response to modest increases in the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulten, Thorsten (2013): WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2013. Anhaltend schwache Mindestlohnentwicklung in Europa. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 66, H. 2, S. 126-132. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2013-2-126

Abstract

"Der WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2013 gibt einen aktuellen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Mindestlohnpolitik in Europa und ausgewählten außereuropäischen Staaten. Unter Auswertung der WSI-Mindestlohndatenbank werden neueste Daten zur Höhe und Entwicklung gesetzlicher Mindestlöhne präsentiert. Im Jahr 2012 wurden die Mindestlöhne in vielen europäischen Ländern nur geringfügig angehoben oder sogar gänzlich eingefroren. In zahlreichen Ländern erlitten die Mindestlohnbezieher zum Teil deutliche Reallohnverluste. Betroffen sind insbesondere diejenigen Länder, die unter der Aufsicht der Europäischen Union und des Internationalem Währungsfonds stehen und die als Teil der ihnen auferlegten Austeritätsprogramme in der Regel eine äußerst restriktive (Mindest-)Lohnpolitik verfolgen müssen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schuster, Thomas (2013): Mindestlohn. Beschäftigungsrisiken höher als behauptet. (IW policy paper 2013,19), Köln, 42 S.

Abstract

"Das Mindestlohn-Kompendium trägt alle wichtigen Informationen zusammen, die in der Mindestlohndebatte interessant sind. Zuerst werden die verschiedenen Arten von Mindestlöhnen dargestellt. Dann werden die Mindestlohnregelungen in Europa präsentiert. Neben den monatlichen Mindestlöhnen und den relativen Beträgen im Vergleich zum Durchschnittslohn gibt es auch eine Übersicht über die Mindeststundenlöhne. Anschließend werden alle gesetzlichen Mindestlohnregelungen in Deutschland besprochen. Die theoretische Analyse des Mindestlohns ergibt, dass er sich nur dann negativ auf den Arbeitsmarkt auswirkt, wenn er höher als der Gleichgewichtslohn ist. Empirische Analysen über den Mindestlohn in Deutschland ergeben, dass sich der Mindestlohn im ostdeutschen Bauhauptgewerbe und im gesamtdeutschen Dachdeckerhandwerk negativ auf die Beschäftigung ausgewirkt hat. Internationale Studien ergeben, dass in 56 Prozent der Studien der Mindestlohn einen negativen Effekt auf den Arbeitsmarkt hat. In nur 9 Prozent der Studien ist eine positive Wirkung festzustellen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Addison, John T., McKinley L. Blackburn & Chad D. Cotti (2012): The effect of minimum wages on labour market outcomes. County-level estimates from the restaurant-and-bar sector. In: BJIR, Jg. 50, H. 3, S. 412-435. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-8543.2010.00819.x

Abstract

"We use US county-level data on employment and earnings in the restaurant-and-bar sector to evaluate the impact of minimum-wage changes in low-wage labour markets. Our estimated models are consistent with a simple competitive model in which supply-and-demand factors affect both the equilibrium outcome and the probability of the minimum wage being binding. Our evidence does not suggest that minimum wages reduce employment once controls for trends in county-level sectoral employment are incorporated. Rather, employment appears to exhibit an independent downward trend in states that have increased their minimum wages relative to states that have not, thereby predisposing estimates towards reporting negative outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Addison, John T. & Orgul Demet Ozturk (2012): Minimum wages, labor market institutions, and female employment. A cross-country analysis. In: ILR review, Jg. 65, H. 4, S. 779-809. DOI:10.1177/001979391206500402

Abstract

"The authors investigate the employment consequences of minimum wage regulation for women in 16 OECD countries during 1970 to 2008. The treatment follows that of Neumark and Wascher's (2004) cross-country study using panel methods to estimate minimum wage effects among teenagers and young adults, although they focus on prime-age females -- a group often neglected in the minimum wage literature. Moreover, their analysis covers a longer time interval and deploys time-varying policy and institutional regressors. They report average effects consistent with minimum wages causing material employment losses among the target group and, less conclusively, elevated joblessness as well. Their cross-country findings agree with Neumark and Wascher on the role of some individual labor market institutions and policies, but the authors do not observe the same patterns in the institutional data: specifically, prime-age females do not exhibit stronger employment losses in countries with the least regulated markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Anagnostopoulos, Achilleas & W. Stanley Siebert (2012): The impact of Greek labour market regulation on temporary and family employment. Evidence from a new survey. (IZA discussion paper 6504), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"This paper uses an original dataset for 206 workplaces in Thessaly (Greece), to study consequences of Greece's employment protection law (EPL) and national wage minimum for temporary employment. We find higher temporary employment rates especially among a 'grey' market group of workplaces that pay low wages and avoid the national wage minimum. A similar factor boosts family employment. We also find that EPL 'matters', in particular, managers who prefer temporary contracts because temps are less protected definitely employ more temps. We discuss whether temporary and family work is a form of escape from regulation for less prosperous firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ananian, Sévane & Oana Calavrezo (2012): Les trajectoires salariales des individus payés au voisinage du Smic dans le secteur privé. Une analyse empirique sur données françaises entre 1995 et 2007. In: Economie et Statistique H. 448/449, S. 49-78.

Abstract

"Stellen die Zeiträume, in denen der gesetzliche Mindestlohn (SMIC) bezogen wird, einen vorübergehenden Zustand dar, der sich auf höhere Löhne hinbewegt, oder reihen sie sich in eine Laufbahn anhaltender Einkommensschwachheit ein? Um Ansätze zur Beantwortung dieser Frage zu erhalten, wurden die Entwicklung von Personen, die 1995-2003 in etwa den gesetzlichen Mindeststundenlohn bezogen, über einen Zeitraum von 5 Jahren verfolgt. Es war dabei nötig, eine Methode zu entwickeln, um diese Personen zweifelsfrei zu bestimmen, da während der Umsetzung der Politik der Verringerung der Arbeitszeit in der ersten Hälfte des Jahres 2000 verschiedene Mindestlohnstufen nebeneinanderher bestanden haben. Die Personen wurden anschließend in sechs Hauptkategorien der Gehaltsentwicklung aufgegliedert. Die Profile der Arbeitnehmer, die von den einzelnen Gruppen umfasst werden, weisen dabei starke individuelle Unterschiede auf. Die Arbeitnehmer, deren Gehälter sich nach oben entwickelt haben, bilden die zahlenstärkste Gruppe. Sie sind meist schon eine gewisse Zeit im Unternehmen bzw. auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Die zahlenmäßig geringste Gruppe umfasst diejenigen Arbeitnehmer, deren Lohn über die fünf untersuchten Jahre hin in etwa auf Höhe des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns stehen blieb. Es handelt sich dabei oft um Frauen, Arbeiter und Arbeitnehmer oder Personen, die schon länger auf dem Arbeitsmarkt sind. Zwischen diesen beiden Kategorien bewegen sich Personen, deren Gehaltskurve unregelmäßiger ist, oder die aus dem Analysebereich herausfallen. Bei Arbeitnehmern, die sich zwischen Löhnen, die sich in etwa auf der Höhe des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns befinden, und Bereichen jenseits der Analyse hin und her bewegen, gegebenenfalls mit vorübergehenden Zeiträumen höheren Einkommens, handelt es sich oft um junge Menschen mit weniger Erfahrung im Beruf oder auf dem Arbeitsmarkt. Arbeitnehmer, die aus dem Bereich herausfallen, ohne höhere Löhne bezogen zu haben, sind oft älter. Es handelt sich dabei wahrscheinlich um Rentenabgänge am Ende des Arbeitslebens." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Azar, Ofer H. (2012): The effect of the minimum wage for tipped workers on firm strategy, employees and social welfare. In: Labour economics, Jg. 19, H. 5, S. 748-755. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2012.07.002

Abstract

"Millions of workers derive much of their income from tips and are subject to the 'tipped minimum wage' that differs from the regular minimum wage. This article examines the implications of the tipped minimum wage and shows that increasing it may lead restaurants to adopt a compulsory service charge in lieu of tipping to extract the economic rent enjoyed by waiters under tipping. Because servers are better off with tipping, this implies that increasing the tipped minimum wage in an attempt to increase servers' income may achieve the opposite result. Moreover, increasing the tipped minimum wage may reduce social welfare." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Belser, Patrick & Kristen Sobeck (2012): At what level should countries set their minimum wages? In: Labour education, Jg. 4, H. 1, S. 105-127.

Abstract

"This paper has reviewed some fundamental elements of minimum wage setting and proposed a discussion on some of the indicators which can be used to set a first-time minimum wage or to evaluate whether an existing legal floor is set at the 'right' level. The use of such indicators is a practical way to choose a minimum wage rate that brings real benefits to low-paid workers, while at the same time remaining consistent with the objectives of a competitive economy. Once these indicators are calculated, it is of course up to the governments, and the social partners, to define their respective positions with a view to convincing a majority of those who hold the final decision-making power. But by using these indicators, decision-makers at least have some basic information" (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bildirici, Melike E. & Elçin Aykaç Alp (2012): Minimum wage is efficient wage in Turkish labor market. TAR-cointegration analysis. In: Quality and Quantity. International Journal of Methodology, Jg. 46, H. 4, S. 1261-1270. DOI:10.1007/s11135-011-9439-8

Abstract

"This study has two main purposes. First one is the necessity of taking minimum wages into account, if there is a purpose to analyze the relationship between wages and productivity in an economy which has high unemployment rates and informal employment. Second one is about the analyzing method of this relationship. We choose TAR cointegration analysis for this relation. First step of this analysis is testing for stationarity of the variables. However the low power of traditional unit root tests is examined and proved in many studies but not taken into account in TAR cointegration studies in literature. This study shows that traditional unit root tests are unfavorable for the variables which have TAR structures. Because of this shortcoming of traditional unit root tests, these results must be supported with TAR unit root tests." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Boeri, Tito (2012): Setting the minimum wage. In: Labour economics, Jg. 19, H. 3, S. 281-290. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2012.01.001

Abstract

"The process leading to the setting of the minimum wage so far has been overlooked by economists. There are two common ways of setting national minimum wages: they are either government legislated or the byproduct of collective bargaining agreements, which are extended erga omnes to all workers. We develop a simple model relating the level of the minimum wage to the setting regime. Next, we exploit a new data set on minimum wages in 68 countries having a statutory national minimum level of pay in the period 1981-2005. We find that a Government legislated minimum wage is lower than a wage floor set within collective agreements. This effect survives to several robustness checks and can be interpreted as a causal effect of the setting regime on the level of the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bosch, Gerhard & Claudia Weinkopf (2012): Mindestlöhne, Tariflöhne und Lohnungleichheit. In: R. Bispinck, G. Bosch, K. Hofemann & G. Naegele (Hrsg.) (2012): Sozialpolitik und Sozialstaat : Festschrift für Gerhard Bäcker, S. 221-238. DOI:10.1007/978-3-531-19024-2_14

Abstract

"Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre ist in Deutschland der Anteil der gering Bezahlten an allen Beschäftigten von einstmals 13 bis 14 Prozent auf 21,4 Prozent im Jahre 2009 angestiegen. Bemerkenswert ist dabei nicht allein die im europaweiten Vergleich schnelle Zunahme auf ein überdurchschnittliches Niveau, sondern auch die starke Spreizung der Löhne innerhalb des Niedriglohnsektors. In Deutschland erhielten im Jahr 2008 gut 3,4 Millionen Beschäftigte einen Stundenlohn unter sieben Euro, was in den westlichen Nachbarländern aufgrund der dortigen Mindestlöhne nicht möglich wäre (Kalina/Weinkopf 2010, S. 209)." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Butcher, Tim, Richard Dickens & Alan Manning (2012): Minimum wages and wage inequality. Some theory and an application to the UK. (CEP discussion paper 1177), London, 33 S.

Abstract

"Research suggests that, at the levels set in countries like the US and the UK, minimum wages have little effect on employment but do have impacts on wage inequality. However we lack models that can explain these facts - this paper presents one based on imperfect labour markets. The paper also investigates the impact of the UK's National Minimum Wage on wage inequality finding it can explain a sizeable part of the evolution of wage inequality in the bottom half of the distribution in the period 1998-2010. We also present evidence that the impact of the NMW reaches up to 40% above the NMW in 2010 which corresponds to the 25th percentile. These spillovers are larger in low-wage segments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Butcher, Tim (2012): Still evidence-based? The role of policy evaluation in recession and beyond: the case of the National Minimum Wage. In: National Institute Economic Review, Jg. 219, H. 1, S. R26-R40. DOI:10.1177/002795011221900104

Abstract

"This article explains the role of evidence in determining the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission (LPC) for the National Minimum Wage (NMW). First, it sets out the process of recommending the minimum wage including the role of evidence. Second, it summarises the evidence available on the impact of the minimum wage before discussing how that evidence has informed the recommendations for the adult rate of the minimum wage in the LPC's reports. It concludes by assessing the extent to which the NMW might be regarded as a success and considers whether the recent financial crisis will alter the evidence-based approach so far adopted by the LPC." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Campolieti, Michele, Morley Gunderson & Byron Lee (2012): The (non) impact of minimum wages on poverty. Regression and simulation evidence for Canada. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 287-302. DOI:10.1007/s12122-012-9139-8

Abstract

"We estimate the effect of minimum wages on poverty for Canada using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) for 1997 to 2007 and find that minimum wages do not have a statistically significant effect on poverty and this finding is robust across a number of specifications. Our simulation results, based on the March 2008 Labour Force Survey (LFS), find that only about 30 % of the net earnings gain from minimum wage increases goes to the poor while about 70 % 'spill over' into the hands of the non-poor. Furthermore, we find that job losses are disproportionately concentrated on the poor. Our results highlight that, political rhetoric not-withstanding, minimum wages are poorly targeted as an anti-poverty device and are at best an exceedingly blunt instrument for dealing with poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Cette, Gilbert, Valérie Chouard & Gregory Verdugo (2012): Les effets des hausses du Smic sur le salaire moyen. In: Economie et Statistique H. 448/449, S. 3-28.

Abstract

"Diese Studie ist den Auswirkungen von Erhöhungen des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns auf das Durchschnittsgehalt gewidmet. Es werden zwei Indikatoren des Durchschnittsgehalts in Betracht gezogen: der Basisstundenlohn der Arbeiter (SHBO) und das Monatsgehalt pro Kopf (SMPT). In die Studie gehen aggregierte Daten zur gesamten französischen Wirtschaft über vier Jahrzehnte von der Einführung des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns 1970 bis zur Änderung des Zeitplans der jährlichen Anpassungen im Jahr 2009. Die Studie weist drei Besonderheiten gegenüber der bisher erschienen Literatur auf. Erstens umfasst sie wesentlich längere Zeiträume als diese und damit aussagekräftigeres Material. Zweitens berücksichtigten die angewandten Verfahren die Möglichkeit eines sehr langsamen, progressiven Einflusses des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns auf das Durchschnittsgehalt, wohingegen die bisherigen Untersuchungen im Allgemeinen von unmittelbareren Auswirkungen ausgingen. Drittens unterscheidet sie die möglichen Auswirkungen der Anpassungen des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns auf das Durchschnittsgehalt je nach deren Ursachen: preisabhängige Indexierung, Indexierung auf die Hälfte der Kaufkraftzunahme des Basisstundenlohns der Arbeiter (SHBO) und frei beschlossene Sondererhöhungen. Aufgrund frei beschlossener Sondererhöhungen wuchs der gesetzliche Mindestlohn in allen Jahrzehnten des Zeitraums 1970-2009 stärker als der Durchschnittslohn. Die Schätzungen zeigen im Übrigen, dass der Einfluss der Anpassungen des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns auf das Durchschnittsgehalt stark ist. Insbesondere die Erhöhungen durch gesetzliche Indexierung auf die Hälfte der Kaufkraftzunahme des Basisstundenlohns der Arbeiter (SHBO) hat starke Auswirkungen auf eben jenen Basisstundenlohn der Arbeiter (SHBO). Letzteres Ergebnis legt nahe, dass es eine starke zirkulare Wechselwirkung gibt, die diese beiden Größen beeinflusst. Durch die Modalitäten der Anpassung des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns und deren Auswirkungen auf das Durchschnittsgehalt ist Frankreich zweifelsohne eines der industrialisierten Länder, deren Wettbewerbsfähigkeit am anfälligsten gegenüber starken Inflationsschwankungen ist." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Del Carpio, Ximena, Ha Nguyen & Liang Choon Wang (2012): Does the minimum wage affect employment? Evidence from the manufacturing sector in Indonesia. (Policy research working paper 6147), Washington, DC, 36 S.

Abstract

"Using survey data from the Indonesian manufacturing industry, this paper investigates the impact of minimum wage on employment and wages offered by Indonesian manufacturing firms from 1993 to 2006. It shows that the estimated effects of minimum wage on employment are positive within a province (i.e., with province fixed effects), but negative within a firm (i.e., with firm fixed effects), indicating the importance of using firm panel data to reduce the endogeneity bias in estimates. It finds significant heterogeneous effects of minimum-wage changes on employment. The employment effects of minimum wages are significant and negative among small firms and less educated workers, but not among large firms and workers with high school education and above. The negative employment impact is more severe for non-production workers than for production workers. The analysis also shows that the minimum wage disproportionally affects women: most of the nonproduction job losses are experienced by female workers. Lastly, the paper finds that the minimum wage is more correlated with the average wage of small firms than that of large firms, suggesting that minimum wages are more binding in small firms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dolton, Peter & Chiara Rosazza-Bondibene (2012): The international experience of minimum wages in an economic downturn. In: Economic policy, Jg. 27, H. 69, S. 99-142. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0327.2011.00278.x

Abstract

"What should governments do with the level of the minimum wage (MW) in times of recession? In an economic downturn when most workers face falling real wages is it appropriate to let the MW fall or are the positive effects of the MW on inequality enough to justify its uprating - and if so what might be the consequences on a country's employment level? This paper reports new estimates of the employment effects of the MW by focusing on the recessionary experiences across countries. Using international data we exploit: cross-national variation in the level and timing of the MW uprating and the exact timing of the recessionary experiences in different countries with a panel data set comprising 33 OECD over the period 1971 - 2009. Our panel data allow us to differentiate the effect of MWs on employment in periods of economic downturn as well as periods of economic growth. We also account for institutional and other policy related differences that might have an impact on employment other than the MW. We find that the answer depends on whether one considers adults or young people, and to some extent, on what measure of the MW is considered. The answer is also somewhat sensitive to whether one considers that the MW level is a choice option of the government which is inextricably interrelated to the determination of employment - that is, the extent to which the MW is endogenous. Using a 'political complexion of the government' instrumental variable (IV) we find that the MW only has a negative impact on youth employment. This leaves each government with the dilemma of raising the MW and reducing inequality or increasing the MW and accepting that this will reduce employment levels amongst young people and those on the margins of work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dolton, Peter (2012): The administration and impact of a national minimum wage. Lessons for Germany. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 45, H. 3/4, S. 201-208., 2011-12-31. DOI:10.1007/s12651-012-0121-y

Abstract

"The problem of trying to estimate what the effect of the minimum wage will have on employment (or any other outcome) has puzzled economists for over 150 years. Some factions in Germany have recently contemplated supplementing their extensive system of sector and branch minimum wages with a National Minimum Wage (NMW). Perhaps some of the most valuable lessons for Germany can be drawn from the UK which introduced such a NMW as recently as 1999. This article provides an overview of recent evidence from the UK and other countries on the effects of the NMW and lessons to be drawn from instituting such a policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dolton, Peter, Chiara Rosazza Bondibene & Michael Stops (2012): The spatial analysis of the employment effect of the minimum wage in a recession. The case of the UK 1999-2010. (Research reports commissioned for the Low Pay Commission Report 2012), London, 61 S.

Abstract

"This report assesses the impact of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) on employment in the UK over the 1999-2010 period explicitly modelling the effect of the 2008-10 recession. Identification is facilitated by using variation in the bite of the NMW across local labour markets with the use of the 'incremental differences-in-differences' (IDiD) estimator. We explicitly take account of the spatial nature of local labour markets by using commuting patterns to weight our estimation. We find that, even controlling for clear regional recessionary factors, there are small positive employment effects of the NMW from 2003-6, when the average bite of the NMW was at its highest since its introduction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dolton, Peter, Chiara Rosazza-Bondibene & Jonathan Wadsworth (2012): Employment, inequality and the UK National Minimum Wage over the medium-term. In: Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Jg. 74, H. 1, S. 78-106. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0084.2011.00653.x

Abstract

"We assess the impact of the national minimum wage (NMW) on employment and inequality in the UK over the decade since its introduction. We evaluate its effects in each year, using an incremental differences-in-differences (IDiD) estimator. Identification is based on variation in the bite of the NMW across local labour markets and the different sized year on year up-ratings. We find that an increased bite of the NMW is associated with falls in lower tail wage inequality. While the average employment effect over the entire period is broadly neutral, there are small but significant positive NMW effects from 2003 onwards." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Favrat, Adélaïde, Delphine Prady & Chloé Tavan (2012): Du Smic au niveau de vie. Composantes et évolutions. In: Economie et Statistique H. 448/449, S. 29-48.

Abstract

"Arbeitnehmer, die den gesetzlichen Mindeststundenlohn (SMIC) beziehen, befinden sich im Jahr 2011 öfters auf der unteren Stufe des Lebensstandard als die übrigen Arbeitnehmer: Ihr Lebensstandard stellt nur zwei Drittel desjenigen der Arbeitnehmer, die mehr als das 1,1-fache des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns verdienen. Ihre beruflichen Einnahmen sind auch deswegen geringer, weil sie häufiger nur teilzeitbeschäftigt sind und im Laufe des Jahrs öfter Perioden der Arbeitslosigkeit aufweisen. Das steuerliche und soziale System hat jedoch die Tendenz, den Abstand zu verringern, indem es den Lebensstandard der Mindestlohnverdiener um 8 % erhöht und denjenigen der Mehrverdiener verringert. Soziale Beihilfen und arbeitsfördernde Maßnahmen stellen insgesamt 11 % der verfügbaren Einnahmen der Mindestlohnverdiener dar. Der Beitrag der arbeitsfördernden Maßnahmen, Steuergeschenk an Kleinverdiener (PPE) und zulässige Zusatzbeschäftigung für Bezieher des Existenzminimums (RSA), bleibt jedoch gering im Vergleich zu den anderen Komponenten ihres verfügbaren Einkommens, wegen der Zeiträume von Arbeitslosigkeit oder zusätzlicher Einnahmen ihrer Haushalte, die dazu führen, dass sie einkommensabhängige Beihilfen nicht erhalten. Der Lebensstandard der Mindestlohnverdiener weist allerdings ziemlich große Unterschiede auf: bei 28 % von ihnen ist er höher als der mediane Lebensstandard. Dies erklärt sich insbesondere durch die Tätigkeitsdauer über das Jahr hin und auch durch Einnahmen des Ehepartners. Der Lebensstandard von allein erziehenden Mindestlohnverdienern ist wesentlich geringer als derjenige von kinderlosen Paaren trotz eines ziemlich gleichen Lohnniveaus. Die soziale und steuerliche Gesetzgebung hat es zwischen 1999 und 2012 ermöglicht, das tatsächlich verfügbare Einkommen der Mindestlohnverdiener schneller zu erhöhen als den gesetzlichen Mindestlohn (bei gegebener Familienzusammensetzung und Arbeitsdauer): Es nahm um 10 % zu, wohingegen der gesetzliche Mindestlohn nur um 7 % zunahm. Die Schaffung von Maßnahmen zur Förderung von Kleinverdienern - Steuergeschenk an Kleinverdiener (PPE) im Jahr 2001 und Existenzminimum (RSA) 2009 - hat eine entscheidende Rolle bei diesem Anstieg gespielt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Ford, William F., Travis Minor & Mark F. Owens (2012): State minimum wage differences: economic factors or political inclinations? In: Business Economics, Jg. 47, H. 1, S. 57-67. DOI:10.1057/be.2011.37

Abstract

"This paper examines the importance of factors that influence a state's decision to adopt an above-federal minimum wage level. Our results indicate that state political leanings are the primary factor explaining differences in state minimum wage laws since 1991. Further, state cost of living differences do not appear to influence a state's decision to increase its minimum wage above the federal level. This result is interesting since proponents of raising the minimum wage cite the rising cost of living as a principal justification for an increase. Our findings should be of special interest to economists responsible for analyzing and forecasting labor cost trends within and among states where their employers operate or plan to relocate." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lee, Sangheon (2012): "Varieties of minimum wage system" through the dubious lens of indicator-based rankings. In: International Labour Review, Jg. 151, H. 3, S. 261-275. DOI:10.1111/j.1564-913X.2012.00148.x

Abstract

"Growing interest in the impact of labour regulations on labour market performance has prompted attempts to quantify labour standards for cross-country comparison. While recognizing the contribution of such quantification to empirical research, this article takes issue with indicators that purport to rank countries' regulatory regimes. With reference to the minimum wage component of the World Bank's Doing Business indicators, the author identifies major limitations of this device-theoretical bias, measurement error, disregard of institutional particulars and failure to account for regulatory indeterminacy. His examination of minimum wage systems concludes with an argument against the grounding of policy decisions on indicator-based rankings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lin, Carl (2012): Less myth, more measurement: Decomposing excess returns from the 1989 minimum wage hike. (IZA discussion paper 6269), Bonn, 28 S.

Abstract

"In the book Myth and Measurement, Card and Krueger (1995) examine the economic impact of the 1989 minimum wage hike on the welfare of 110 firms which employ a disproportionate number of minimum-wage workers. Their results show mixed evidence that excess returns associated with news about the 1989 minimum-wage legislation. This paper re-examines this question by decomposing excess returns. Our simple and intuitive approach attributes excess returns to either differences in market performances (economy-wide factors) or firm-specific traits (individualistic factors). We likewise show that, generally, minimum wage legislation had little or no effect on employer wealth. However, by decomposing total excess returns, we find that the apparent lack of an effect is a consequence of two off-setting forces: (1) a negative effect arising from firm-specific traits (adverse information on minimum-wage worker employers) and (2) a positive effect arising from market performance. In other words, we show that while the aggregate effect of the 1989 minimum wage hike was neutral, there was a significant negative impact on firms that was neutralized by positive market performance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marx, Ive, Sarah Marchal & Brian Nolan (2012): Mind the gap: Net incomes of minimum wage workers in the EU and the US. (European Trade Union Institute. Working paper 2012,05), Brüssel, 34 S.

Abstract

"This paper focuses on the role of minimum wages, tax and benefit policies in protecting workers against financial poverty, covering 21 European countries with a national minimum wage and three US States (New Jersey, Nebraska and Texas). It is shown that only for single persons and only in a number of countries, net income packages at minimum wage level reach or exceed the EU's at-risk-of poverty threshold, set at 60 per cent of median equivalent household income in each country. For lone parents and sole breadwinners with a partner and children to support, net income packages at minimum wage are below this threshold almost everywhere, usually by a wide margin. This is the case despite shifts over the past decade towards tax relief and additional income support provisions for low-paid workers. We argue that there appear to be limits to what minimum wage policies alone can achieve in the fight against in-work poverty. The route of raising minimum wages to eliminate poverty among workers solely reliant on it seems to be inherently constrained, especially in countries where the distance between minimum and average wage levels is already comparatively small and where relative poverty thresholds are mostly a function of the dual-earner living standards. In order to fight in-work poverty new policy routes need to be explored. The paper offers a brief discussion of possible alternatives and cautions against 'one size fits all' policy solutions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Marx, Ive, Sarah Marchal & Brian Nolan (2012): Mind the gap: Net incomes of minimum wage workers in the EU and the US. (IZA discussion paper 6510), Bonn, 25 S.

Abstract

"This paper focuses on the role of minimum wages, tax and benefit policies in protecting workers against financial poverty, covering 21 European countries with a national minimum wage and three US States (New Jersey, Nebraska and Texas). It is shown that only for single persons and only in a number of countries, net income packages at minimum wage level reach or exceed the EU's at-risk-of poverty threshold, set at 60 per cent of median equivalent household income in each country. For lone parents and sole breadwinners with a partner and children to support, net income packages at minimum wage are below this threshold almost everywhere, usually by a wide margin. This is the case despite shifts over the past decade towards tax relief and additional income support provisions for low-paid workers. We argue that there appear to be limits to what minimum wage policies alone can achieve in the fight against in-work poverty. The route of raising minimum wages to eliminate poverty among workers solely reliant on it seems to be inherently constrained, especially in countries where the distance between minimum and average wage levels is already comparatively small and where relative poverty thresholds are mostly a function of the dual-earner living standards. In order to fight in-work poverty new policy routes need to be explored. The paper offers a brief discussion of possible alternatives and cautions against 'one size fits all' policy solutions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Neumark, David, J.M. Ian Salas & William Wascher (2012): Revisiting the minimum wage-employment debate. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater? (NBER working paper 18681), Cambridge, Mass., 59 S. DOI:10.3386/w18681

Abstract

"We revisit the minimum wage-employment debate, which is as old as the Department of Labor. In particular, we assess new studies claiming that the standard panel data approach used in much of the 'new minimum wage research' is flawed because it fails to account for spatial heterogeneity. These new studies use research designs intended to control for this heterogeneity and conclude that minimum wages in the United States have not reduced employment. We explore the ability of these research designs to isolate reliable identifying information and test the untested assumptions in this new research about the construction of better control groups. Our evidence points to serious problems with these research designs. We conclude that the evidence still shows that minimum wages pose a trade-off of higher wages for some against job losses for others, and that policymakers need to bear this trade-off in mind when making decisions about increasing the minimum wage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Neumark, David, Matthew Thompson & Leslie Koyle (2012): The effects of living wage laws on low-wage workers and low-income families. What do we know now? In: IZA journal of labor policy, Jg. 1, S. 1-44. DOI:10.1186/2193-9004-1-11

Abstract

"We provide updated evidence on the effects of living wage laws in U.S. cities, relative to the earlier research covering only the first six or seven years of existence of these laws. There are some challenges to updating the evidence, as the CPS data on which it relies changed geographic coding systems in the mid-2000s. The updated evidence is broadly consistent with the conclusions reached by prior research, including a recent review of that earlier evidence. Living wage laws reduce employment among the least-skilled workers they are intended to help. But they also increase wages for many of them. This implies that living wage laws generate both winners and losers among those affected by them. For broader living wage laws that cover recipients of business or financial assistance from cities, the net effects point to modest reductions in urban poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Papps, Kerry L. (2012): The effects of social security taxes and minimum wages on employment. Evidence from Turkey. In: ILR review, Jg. 65, H. 3, S. 686-707. DOI:10.1177/001979391206500309

Abstract

"Using worker-level panel data for the period from 2002 to 2005, the author analyzes the separate employment effects of increases in the social security taxes paid by employers and increases in the minimum wage in Turkey. Variation over time among low-wage workers in the ratio of total labor costs to the gross wage gives rise to a natural experiment. The author's regression estimates indicate that a given increase in social security taxes has a larger negative effect on the probability of a worker remaining employed in the next quarter than an equal size increase in the minimum wage. This result is incompatible with the textbook model of labor supply and demand, and it suggests that workers may increase effort in response to an increase in wages. The author's comparison of the employment responses of workers in different demographic groups provides some indirect evidence that the central finding is consistent with this explanation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pelek, Selin & Oana Calavrezo (2012): Les emplois du bas de l'échelle salariale en Turquie. Une description des salariés des secteurs formels et informels, hors agriculture. In: Travail et emploi H. 126, S. 45-60.

Abstract

"This paper aims to identify the characteristics of low-wage workers in Turkey. In this country, the labor market is segmented between formal and informal employment. Therefore, the authors distinguish two categories of workers : workers earning the minimum wage in formal employment and workers earning the minimum wage and less than the minimum wage in informal employment. They use simple descriptive statistical methods and implement logit models on original data from the Budget survey of the Turkish Statistical Institute over the period 2003-2006. Their analysis points out a number of common features for low-wage workers in formal and informal employment : they are more often women, young people, individuals living in the countryside, employees with less firm specific seniority and people receiving a financial aid from the State. But low-wage workers can be divided in two categories. On the one hand, workers in formal employment earning the minimum wage work either in small firms in the tertiary sector or in bigger firms (25 to 49 employees) in the industrial sector. On the other hand, low-wage workers in informal employment are more often women with a secondary education, working in the tertiary sector and earning a salary which might represent a supplementary income. The socioeconomic characteristics of minimum wage workers in formal employment are more similar to the characteristics of workers paid below the minimum wage level working in an informal employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rycx, François & Stephan Kampelmann (2012): Who earns minimum wages in Europe? New evidence based on household surveys. (Report / European Trade Union Institute 124), Brüssel, 64 S.

Abstract

"Minimum wages continue to stir controversial policy debates. This study contributes to a better understanding of minimum wages by providing a solid empirical assessment of minimum wage policies and their socio-economic consequences for a range of European countries. In addition to qualitative differences between minimum wage systems, the report documents international variations in the (absolute and relative) levels of minimum wages. An important contribution of the study is to provide a statistical panorama of the population of minimum wage earners." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sabia, Joseph J., Richard V. Burkhauser & Benjamin Hansen (2012): Are the effects of minimum wage increases always small? New evidence from a case study of New York State. In: ILR review, Jg. 65, H. 2, S. 350-376. DOI:10.1177/001979391206500207

Abstract

"The authors estimate the effect of the 2004-6 New York State (NYS) minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $6.75 per hour on the employment rates of 16- to 29-year-olds who do not have a high school diploma. Using data drawn from the 2004 and 2006 Current Population Survey, they employ difference-in-difference estimates to show that the NYS minimum wage increase is associated with a 20.2% to 21.8% reduction in the employment of less-skilled, less-educated workers, with the largest effects on those aged 16 to 24. Their estimates imply a median employment elasticity with respect to the minimum wage of around - 0.7, large relative to previous researchers' estimates. The authors' findings are robust to their choice of geographically proximate comparison states, the use of a more highly skilled within-state comparison group, and a synthetic control design approach. Moreover, their results provide plausible evidence that state minimum wage increases can have substantial adverse labor demand effects for low-skilled individuals that are outside previous elasticity estimates, ranging from - 0.1 to - 0.3." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulten, Thorsten (2012): European minimum wage policy: A concept for wage-led growth and fair wages in Europe. In: Labour education, Jg. 4, H. 1, S. 85-103.

Abstract

"To sum up, a European minimum wage policy could make a major contribution for the development of a new more sustainable, wage-led growth model in Europe. At the same time it would give a concrete expression for the idea of 'social Europe' and would bring new legitimacy to the European integration process. However, the political enforcement of a European minimum wage policy requires a European social movement which is able to push this issue at the European policy agenda. In this respect it seems that the European trade unions and other social forces still have some way to go." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schulten, Thorsten (2012): WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2012. Schwache Mindestlohnentwicklung unter staatlicher Austeritätspolitik. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 65, H. 2, S. 124-130. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2012-2-124

Abstract

"Der WSI-Mindestlohnbericht 2012 gibt einen aktuellen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Mindestlohnpolitik in Europa und ausgewählten außereuropäischen Staaten. Unter Auswertung der WSI-Mindestlohndatenbank werden neueste Daten zur Höhe und Entwicklung gesetzlicher Mindestlöhne präsentiert. Im Jahr 2011 wurden die Mindestlöhne in der Regel nur geringfügig angehoben oder sogar gänzlich eingefroren. In den meisten europäischen Ländern erlitten die Mindestlohnbezieher zum Teil deutliche Reallohnverluste. Im Rahmen des aktuellen Krisenmanagements in der Europäischen Union wurde die Mindestlohnpolitik zum Bestandteil einer allgemeinen Austeritätspolitik." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Slonimczyk, Fabian & Peter Skott (2012): Employment and distribution effects of the minimum wage. In: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Jg. 84, H. 1, S. 245-264. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2012.03.005

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the effects of the minimum wage on wage inequality, relative employment and over-education. We show that over-education can be generated endogenously and that an increase in the minimum wage can raise both total and low-skill employment, and produce a fall in inequality. Evidence from the US suggests that these theoretical results are empirically relevant. The over-education rate has been increasing and our regression analysis suggests that the decrease in the minimum wage may have led to a deterioration of the employment and relative wage of low-skill workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stewart, Mark B. (2012): Wage inequality, minimum wage effects, and spillovers. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 64, H. 4, S. 616-634. DOI:10.1093/oep/gps003

Abstract

"This paper investigates possible spillover effects of the UK minimum wage. The halt in the growth in inequality in the lower half of the wage distribution (as measured by the 50:10 percentile ratio) since the mid-1990s, in contrast to the continued inequality growth in the upper half of the distribution, suggests the possibility of a minimum wage effect and spillover effects on wages above the minimum. This paper analyses individual wage changes, using both a difference-in-differences estimator and a specification involving comparisons across minimum wage upratings, and concludes that there have not been minimum wage spillovers. Since the UK minimum wage has always been below the 10th percentile, this lack of spillovers implies that minimum wage changes have not had an effect on the 50:10 percentile ratio measure of inequality in the lower half of the wage distribution." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ven, Justin van de (2012): Implications of the National Employment Savings Trust for vulnerable sectors of the UK labour market. A reduced-form statistical evaluation. In: National Institute Economic Review, Jg. 219, H. 1, S. R77-R89. DOI:10.1177/002795011221900108

Abstract

"The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) is a new pension scheme that will be introduced for employees on modest incomes in the UK from 2012. This paper draws out the implications of the NEST, focusing upon low-paid employees and their employers using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The results suggest that the NEST will increase labour costs by between 0.6 and 0.8 per cent on average, and have a disproportionate effect on low pay industries and private sector firms employing fewer than 25 employees. The analysis highlights the potential role of the minimum wage to shield low pay workers from paying a share of the subsidies that the NEST will afford to its members." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Abe, Yukiko (2011): Minimum wages and employment in Japan. In: Japan labor review, Jg. 8, H. 2, S. 42-54.

Abstract

"This paper surveys issues associated with the minimum wage and its economic impacts in Japan. First, I discuss how the minimum wage is discussed in recent political debates. Next, I explain economic factors surrounding the Japanese labor market that are related to the minimum wage: specifically, I take up the issues of globalization and 'mismatch' (i.e., a labor shortage exists in some industries and/or occupations and, at the same time, there is unemployment). Then, I provide an overview of facts regarding the minimum wage for the past two decades. Finally, I critically review recent empirical studies that examine the employment effects of the minimum wage (Tachibanaki and Urakawa 2007; Kambayashi, Kawaguchi, and Yamada 2009)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Addison, John T., McKinley L. Blackburn & Chad D. Cotti (2011): Minimum wage increases under straightened circumstances. (IZA discussion paper 6036), Bonn, 42 S.

Abstract

"Do apparently large minimum wage increases in an environment of recession produce clearer evidence of disemployment effects than is typically observed in the new minimum wage literature? This paper augments the sparse literature on the most recent increases in the U.S. minimum wage, using three different data sets and the two main estimation strategies for handling geographically-disparate trends. The evidence is generally unsupportive of negative employment effects, still less of a 'recessionary multiplier.' Minimum wage workers seem to be concentrated in sectors of the economy for which the labor demand response to wage mandates is minimal." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ahn, Tom, Peter Arcidiacono & Walter Wessels (2011): The distributional impacts of minimum wage increases when both labor supply and labor demand are endogenous. In: Journal of business and economic statistics, Jg. 29, H. 1, S. 12-23. DOI:10.1198/jbes.2010.07076

Abstract

"We develop and estimate a one-shot search model with endogenous firm entry, and therefore zero expected profits, and endogenous labor supply. Positive employment effects from a minimum wage increase can result as the employment level depends upon both the numbers of searching firms and workers. Welfare implications are similar to the classical analysis: workers who most want the minimum wage jobs are hurt by the minimum wage hike with workers marginally interested in minimum wage jobs benefiting. We estimate the model using CPS data on teenagers and show that small changes in the employment level are masking large changes in labor supply and demand. Teenagers from well-educated families see increases in their employment probabilities and push out their less-privileged counterparts from the labor market. This article has supplementary material online." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Alaniz, Enrique, T. H. Gindling & Katherine Terrell (2011): The impact of minimum wages on wages, work and poverty in Nicaragua. In: Labour economics, Jg. 18, H. S1, S. S45-S59. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2011.06.010

Abstract

"In this paper we use an individual- and household-level panel data set to study the impact of changes in legal minimum wages on a host of labor market outcomes including: a) wages and employment, b) transitions of workers across jobs (in the covered and uncovered sectors) and employment status (unemployment and out of the labor force), and c) transitions into and out of poverty. We find that changes in the legal minimum-wage affect only those workers whose initial wage (before the change in minimum wages) is close to the minimum. For example, increases in the legal minimum wage lead to significant increases in the wages and decreases in employment of private covered sector workers who have wages within 20% of the minimum wage before the change, but have no significant impact on wages in other parts of the distribution. The estimates from the employment transition equations suggest that the decrease in covered private sector employment is due to a combination of layoffs and reductions in hiring. Most workers who lose their jobs in the covered private sector as a result of higher legal minimum-wages leave the labor force or go into unpaid family work; a smaller proportion find work in the public sector. We find no evidence that these workers become unemployed. Our analysis of the relationship between the minimum wage and household income finds: a) increases in legal minimum wages increase the probability that a poor worker's family will move out of poverty, and b) increases in legal minimum-wages are more likely to reduce the incidence of poverty and improve the transition from poor to non-poor if they impact the head of the household rather than the non-head; this is because the head of the household is less likely than a non-head to lose his/her covered sector employment due to a minimum wage increase and because those heads that do lose covered sector employment are more likely to go to another paying job than are non-heads (who are more likely to go into unpaid family work or leave the labor force)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Allegretto, Sylvia A., Arindrajit Dube & Michael Reich (2011): Do minimum wages really reduce teen employment? Accounting for heterogeneity and selectivity in state panel data. (IRLE working paper 2011-166), Berkeley, CA, 51 S.

Abstract

"Traditional estimates of minimum wage effects include controls for state unemployment rates and state and year fixed-effects. Using CPS data on teens for the period 1990 - 2009, we show that such estimates fail to account for heterogeneous employment patterns that are correlated with selectivity among states with minimum wages. As a result, the estimates are often biased and vary with the source of identifying variation. Including controls for long-term growth differences among states and for heterogeneous economic shocks renders the employment and hours elasticities indistinguishable from zero and rules out any but small disemployment effects. Dynamic evidence further shows the nature of bias in traditional estimates, and it also rules out more negative long run effects. We do not find evidence of heterogeneous employment effects in different parts of the business cycle. We also consider predictable versus unpredictable changes in the minimum wage by looking at indexation of the minimum wage in some states." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bianchi, Doris, Stefan Giger, Daniel Lampart, Daniele Lenzin, Alessandro Pelizzari, Andreas Rieger & Georges Tissot (2011): Mindestlohn: Situation und Handlungsbedarf. Bericht der SGB-Expertengruppe Mindestlohn. Zürich: Editions à la carte, 127 S.

Abstract

"Seit Mitte der Neunzigerjahre erleben Mindestlöhne eine neue Blüte. England führt beispielweise einen Mindestlohn ein, viele Länder erhöhen ihren. Und in der Schweiz führen die Gewerkschaften ihre mehrjährige Kampagne 'Keine Löhne unter 3000 Franken'. Damit gelingt es, die Einkommenssituation von vielen Tausend Personen zu verbessern. Gleichzeitig bewertet die ökonomische Forschung die Mindestlöhne neu - vor allem was deren Auswirkungen auf Beschäftigung und Arbeitslosigkeit betrifft. Mindestlöhne werden mehr und mehr als wirksames Mittel gegen Lohnunterbietung empfohlen sowie für die Verbesserung der Lohnsituation. Diese Studie analysiert gut ein Jahrzehnt nach der Wiederentdeckung der Mindestlöhne die Situation und den Handlungsbedarf im Mindestlohn- und Tieflohnbereich in der Schweiz. Untersucht wird aber auch die Lage in Europa." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)