{"title":"The effects of minimum wages on (almost) everything? A review of recent evidence on health and related behaviors","authors":"David Neumark","doi":"10.1111/labr.12263","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>I review and assess the evidence on minimum wage effects on health outcomes and health-related behaviors. The evidence on physical health points in conflicting directions, leaning toward adverse effects. Research on effects on diet and obesity sometimes points to beneficial effects, whereas other evidence indicates that higher minimum wages increase smoking and drinking and reduce exercise (and possibly hygiene). In contrast, there is evidence that higher minimum wages reduce suicides, partly consistent with the evidence of positive or mixed effects on other measures of mental health/depression. Overall, policy conclusions that minimum wages improve health are unwarranted or at least premature.</p>","PeriodicalId":45843,"journal":{"name":"Labour-England","volume":"38 1","pages":"1-65"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/labr.12263","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Labour-England","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/labr.12263","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & LABOR","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
I review and assess the evidence on minimum wage effects on health outcomes and health-related behaviors. The evidence on physical health points in conflicting directions, leaning toward adverse effects. Research on effects on diet and obesity sometimes points to beneficial effects, whereas other evidence indicates that higher minimum wages increase smoking and drinking and reduce exercise (and possibly hygiene). In contrast, there is evidence that higher minimum wages reduce suicides, partly consistent with the evidence of positive or mixed effects on other measures of mental health/depression. Overall, policy conclusions that minimum wages improve health are unwarranted or at least premature.
期刊介绍:
LABOUR provides a forum for analysis and debate on issues concerning labour economics and industrial relations. The Journal publishes high quality contributions which combine economic theory and statistical methodology in order to analyse behaviour, institutions and policies relevant to the labour market.