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Minimum Wage Impacts on Older Workers: Longitudinal Estimates from Canada

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  • Tony Fang
  • Morley Gunderson

Abstract

We use the longitudinal nature of the master file of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics in Canada for the period 1993–99 to estimate the employment impacts for older workers of the large number (24) of minimum wage increases that have occurred across the different provincial jurisdictions over that period. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the minimum wage increases have positive impacts on the employment of older workers compared with the negative impacts that are commonly estimated for youths in Canada. The results are robust across various comparison groups and measures of the minimum wage increases. Reasons for this unusual finding are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Tony Fang & Morley Gunderson, 2009. "Minimum Wage Impacts on Older Workers: Longitudinal Estimates from Canada," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(2), pages 371-387, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:47:y:2009:i:2:p:371-387
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8543.2009.00724.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tony Fang & Morley Gunderson & Carl Lin, 2021. "The impact of minimum wages on wages, wage spillovers, and employment in China: Evidence from longitudinal individual‐level data," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 854-877, May.
    2. Kadir Atalay & Woo-Yung Kim & Stephen Whelan, 2014. "The Decline of the Self-Employment Rate in Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 47(4), pages 472-489, December.
    3. Hampton, Matt & Totty, Evan, 2023. "Minimum wages, retirement timing, and labor supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    4. Mark Borgschulte & Heepyung Cho, 2020. "Minimum Wages and Retirement," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(1), pages 153-177, January.
    5. Thomas Turner & Michelle O’Sullivan, 2013. "Economic Crisis and the Restructuring of Wage Setting Mechanisms for Vulnerable Workers in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 44(2), pages 197-219.
    6. Laporsek, Suzana & Orazem, Peter F. & Vodopivec, Matija & Vodopivec, Milan, 2019. "Long-Term Responses to Large Minimum Wage Shocks: Sub-Minimum and Super-Minimum Workers in Slovenia," IZA Discussion Papers 12123, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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