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Should Employers Pay a Living Wage?

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  • Jason Brennan

    (Georgetown University)

Abstract

This paper critiques many of the leading popular and philosophical arguments purporting to show employers have a duty to pay a living wage. Some of these arguments fail on their own terms. Some are not really about a living wage. The best of them fail to show employers per se owe a living wage; at best, they should that governments should supplement market incomes though a negative income tax or some other redistributive device.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason Brennan, 2019. "Should Employers Pay a Living Wage?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 15-26, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:157:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3724-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3724-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arnold, Denis G. & Bowie, Norman E., 2003. "Sweatshops and Respect for Persons," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(2), pages 221-242, April.
    2. Wilkinson, T. M., 2004. "The Ethics And Economics Of The Minimum Wage," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(2), pages 351-374, October.
    3. Arnold, Denis G. & Bowie, Norman E., 2007. "Respect for Workers in Global Supply Chains: Advancing the Debate Over Sweatshops," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 135-145, January.
    4. Frank, Robert H, 1984. "Are Workers Paid Their Marginal Products?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 549-571, September.
    5. Zwolinski, Matt, 2007. "Sweatshops, Choice, and Exploitation," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(4), pages 689-727, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Charlie Blunden, 2022. "Between Market Failures and Justice Failures: Trade-Offs Between Efficiency and Equality in Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 647-660, July.
    2. Yuka Fujimoto & Ahmed Ferdous & Faisal Wali, 2023. "Integrative Resource Model of Workplace Inclusion for Reduced Inequality: Conservation of Resources Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 301-323, October.
    3. Tony Dobbins & Peter Prowse, 2024. "Moral Economy and the Ethics of the Real Living Wage in UK Football Clubs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(2), pages 299-314, November.
    4. Matthew Caulfield, 2021. "Pay Secrecy, Discrimination, and Autonomy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(2), pages 399-420, June.

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