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Did the German Minimum Wage Reform Influence (Un)employment Growth in 2015? Evidence from Regional Data

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  • Alfred Garloff

Abstract

Using the variation across space, age and sex and the variation across space and sectors, we analyse the relationship between the minimum wage and (un)employment growth in 2015. We use difference‐in‐differences specifications and instrument the bite of the minimum wage by the lagged bite. The results provide stable evidence that a higher minimum wage bite is related to a higher growth rate of regular employment. We also find stable evidence that a higher minimum wage bite is related to a lower growth rate of marginal employment. These results are consistent with a transformation of marginal to regular jobs. The relationship to total employment is slightly positive in our preferred specification but insignificant or negative in others. For unemployment, we find a positive relationship between the bite of the minimum wage and unemployment growth in our preferred specification but insignificant or negative results in others.

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  • Alfred Garloff, 2019. "Did the German Minimum Wage Reform Influence (Un)employment Growth in 2015? Evidence from Regional Data," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 20(3), pages 356-381, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:germec:v:20:y:2019:i:3:p:356-381
    DOI: 10.1111/geer.12200
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    1. Gabriel M. Ahlfeldt & Duncan Roth & Tobias Seidel, 2022. "Optimal minimum wages," CEP Discussion Papers dp1823, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Friedrich Martin, 2020. "Using Occupations to Evaluate the Employment Effects of the German Minimum Wage," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(2-3), pages 269-294, April.
    3. Mario Bossler & Michael Oberfichtner & Claus Schnabel, 2020. "Employment Adjustments Following Rises and Reductions in Minimum Wages: New Insights From a Survey Experiment," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 34(3), pages 323-346, September.
    4. Börschlein, Benjamin & Bossler, Mario, 2021. "A new machine learning-based treatment bite for long run minimum wage evaluations," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242441, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Marco Caliendo & Nico Pestel & Rebecca Olthaus, 2023. "Long-Term Employment Effects of the Minimum Wage in Germany: New Data and Estimators," Papers 2310.15964, arXiv.org.
    6. Holtemöller, Oliver & Pohle, Felix, 2020. "Employment effects of introducing a minimum wage: The case of Germany," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 108-121.
    7. Mario Bossler & Thorsten Schank, 2023. "Wage Inequality in Germany after the Minimum Wage Introduction," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(3), pages 813-857.
    8. Mario Bossler & Lars Chittka & Thorsten Schank, 2024. "A 22 percent increase in the German minimum wage: nothing crazy!," Papers 2405.12608, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2024.
    9. Jiménez Martínez, Mónica & Jiménez Martínez, Maribel, 2021. "Are the effects of minimum wage on the labour market the same across countries? A meta-analysis spanning a century," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(1).
    10. Fedorets, Alexandra & Shupe, Cortnie, 2021. "Great expectations: Reservation wages and minimum wage reform," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 397-419.
    11. Andreas Knabe & Ronnie Schöb & Marcel Thum & Bruttel,Oliver & Benjamin Börschlein & Bossler Mario & Felix Pakleppa & Holger Bonin & Nico Pestel & Alexandra Fedorets & Marco Caliendo, 2020. "Bilanz nach fünf Jahren: Was hat der gesetzliche Mindestlohn gebracht?“," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 73(04), pages 03-28, April.
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    13. Kunaschk, Max, 2024. "The effects of minimum wages on employment and prices—Evidence from the hairdressing sector," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Arnd Kölling, 2022. "Monopsony power and the demand for low-skilled workers," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 33(2), pages 377-395, June.

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