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The impact of the minimum wage on health

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  • Elena Andreyeva

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Benjamin Ukert

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of minimum wage on risky health behaviors, healthcare access, and self-reported health. We use data from the 1993–2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and employ a difference-in-differences strategy that utilizes time variation in new minimum wage laws across U.S. states. Results suggest that the minimum wage increases the probability of being obese and decreases daily fruit and vegetable intake, but also decreases days with functional limitations while having no impact on healthcare access. Subsample analyses reveal that the increase in weight and decrease in fruit and vegetable intake are driven by the older population, married, and whites. The improvement in self-reported health is especially strong among non-whites, females, and married.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Andreyeva & Benjamin Ukert, 2018. "The impact of the minimum wage on health," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 337-375, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:18:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10754-018-9237-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-018-9237-0
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    Cited by:

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    3. Chen Huang & Feng Liu & Shijun You, 2021. "The impact of minimum wage increases on cigarette smoking," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2063-2091, September.
    4. Atif Khan Jadoon & Abeera Tanveer & Maria Faiq Javed & Ambreen Sarwar, 2021. "Minimum Wages and Poverty: A Cross-Country Analysis," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 11(8), pages 632-643, August.
    5. Jiwei Chen, 2021. "Do minimum wage increases benefit worker health? Evidence from China," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 473-499, June.
    6. Averett, Susan L. & Smith, Julie K. & Wang, Yang, 2019. "Minimum Wages and the Health and Access to Care of Immigrants' Children," IZA Discussion Papers 12606, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Lucas Hafner & Benjamin Lochner, 2022. "Do minimum wages improve self-rated health? Evidence from a natural experiment," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(6), pages 2989-3014, June.
    8. Claire Benny & Shelby Yamamoto & Sheila McDonald & Radha Chari & Roman Pabayo, 2022. "Modelling Maternal Depression: An Agent-Based Model to Examine the Complex Relationship between Relative Income and Depression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-12, April.
    9. Laetitia Lebihan, 2023. "Minimum wages and health: evidence from European countries," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 85-107, March.
    10. Slopen, Meredith, 2023. "The impact of paid sick leave mandates on women's health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    11. Yuji Mizushima & Haruko Noguchi, 2021. "Spillover effects of minimum wages on suicide mortality: Evidence from Japan," Working Papers 2105, Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics.
    12. Leigh, J. Paul, 2021. "Treatment design, health outcomes, and demographic categories in the literature on minimum wages and health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    13. Sören Dallmeyer & Christoph Breuer, 2024. "The introduction of a minimum wage in Germany and the effects on physical activity participation," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 211-229, June.
    14. David Neumark, 2024. "The effects of minimum wages on (almost) everything? A review of recent evidence on health and related behaviors," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 38(1), pages 1-65, March.
    15. Otto Lenhart, 2020. "Pathways Between Minimum Wages and Health: The Roles of Health Insurance, Health Care Access and Health Care Utilization," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 438-459, June.
    16. Hafner, Lucas, 2019. "Do minimum wages improve self-rated health? Evidence from a natural experiment," FAU Discussion Papers in Economics 02/2019, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute for Economics.
    17. Sigaud, Liam & Daley, Angela & Rubin, Jonathan & Noblet, Caroline, 2022. "The effects of recent minimum wage increases on self-reported health in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    18. SATO Kazuma, 2021. "The Impact of the Minimum Wage Increase on Subjective Wellbeing: Evidence from Japan," Discussion papers 21075, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Minimum wage; Risky health behaviors; Smoking; Drinking; BMI;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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