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Living wages and age discontinuities for low-wage workers

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  • Datta, Nikhil
  • Machin, Stephen

Abstract

This paper considers an emerging, highly policy relevant feature of minimum wages, studying what happens when a wage floor significantly higher than a nationally legislated minimum is imposed. The consequences of age-wage discontinuities and wage floors higher than mandated minimum wages are explored in the context of a Living Wage being introduced to a large UK organisation through time. Between 2011 and 2019, the Company was exposed to a Living Wage Rate higher than the statutory National Minimum Wage, which was sequentially introduced into some of its establishments and had the effect of boosting wages and strongly increasing the age-wage discontinuity from age-related pay grades. The analysis finds positive labour supply responses at the age discontinuity before Living Wage treatment, but a fall in hours at the discontinuity following treatment. The Living Wage raised wage costs but did not affect aggregate hours, showing a within-establishment reallocation of hours by age arising from differential eligibility to be paid the Living Wage.

Suggested Citation

  • Datta, Nikhil & Machin, Stephen, 2021. "Living wages and age discontinuities for low-wage workers," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113856, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:113856
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/113856/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brian Bell & Stephen Machin, 2018. "Minimum Wages and Firm Value," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(1), pages 159-195.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bossler, Mario & Liang, Ying & Schank, Thorsten, 2024. "The Devil Is in the Details: Heterogeneous Effects of the German Minimum Wage on Working Hours and Minijobs," IZA Discussion Papers 16964, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    living wages; minimum wages; wages; hours;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets

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