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Does a One-Size-Fits-All Minimum Wage Cause Financial Stress for Small Businesses?

Author

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  • Sudheer Chava

    (Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia 30308)

  • Alexander Oettl

    (Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia 30308; National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138)

  • Manpreet Singh

    (Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia 30308)

Abstract

Using intertemporal variation in the bounding of a state’s minimum wage by the federal rate and business credit-score data for 15.2 million establishments, we find that the increase in labor costs caused by a higher federal minimum wage leads to lower business credit scores and worsens the financial health of small businesses in the affected states. In particular, small, young, labor-intensive, and minimum-wage-sensitive establishments located in affected states and those located in competitive and low-income areas experience higher financial stress. Increases in the minimum wage are associated with employment reductions and a higher exit rate for small businesses. Our results document some potential costs of a one-size-fits-all nationwide minimum wage for some small businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Sudheer Chava & Alexander Oettl & Manpreet Singh, 2023. "Does a One-Size-Fits-All Minimum Wage Cause Financial Stress for Small Businesses?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(11), pages 7095-7117, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:69:y:2023:i:11:p:7095-7117
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2022.4620
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    Cited by:

    1. Drucker, Lev & Mazirov, Katya & Neumark, David, 2021. "Who pays for and who benefits from minimum wage increases? Evidence from Israeli tax data on business owners and workers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    2. repec:aei:rpaper:1008582843 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Alexandre, F. & Bação, P. & Cerejeira, J. & Costa, H. & Portela, M., 2022. "Minimum wage and financially distressed firms: Another one bites the dust," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Liu, Guanchun & Liu, Yuanyuan & Zhang, Chengsi, 2022. "Tax enforcement and corporate employment: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    5. Liu, Guanchun & Liu, Yuanyuan & Zhang, Chengsi & Zhu, Yueteng, 2021. "Social insurance law and corporate financing decisions in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 816-837.
    6. Xiang, Junyi & Zhu, Ling & Kong, Dongmin, 2023. "Labor cost and corporate tax avoidance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 338-358.
    7. Glenn Hubbard & Michael R. Strain, 2020. "Has the Paycheck Protection Program Succeeded?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 51(3 (Fall)), pages 335-390.
    8. Priyaranjan Jha & Antonio Rodriguez-Lopez, 2021. "Minimum Wage and Employer Variety," CESifo Working Paper Series 9312, CESifo.
    9. Deng, Lixing & Lai, Shaojie & Liu, Shiang & Pu, Xiaoling, 2022. "Social insurance premiums and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from social insurance law in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    small business; financial distress; minimum wage; credit score;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General

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