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The impact of minimum wages on employment in a low income country : an evaluation using the difference-differences approach

Author

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  • Alatas, Vivi
  • Cameron, Lisa

Abstract

Unlike the well-developed literature on the employment impact of the minimum wage in industrial nations, very little is known about minimum wage effects in low income countries. Minimum wages increased sharply in Indonesia between 1990 and 1996 and by more in some provinces than in others. Following Card and Krueger (1994) the authors exploit the large geographic variation in the rate of increase and compare changes in employment in the clothing, textile, footwear, and leather industries on either side of the Jakarta-West Java border. They use household level labor market data to establish compliance with the legislation. They obtain matched difference-in-difference estimates of the employment impact using a census of all large and medium-size firms in the clothing, textile, leather, and footwear industries. The authors find some evidence of a negative employment impact for small, domestic firms but no employment impact for large firms, foreign or domestic.

Suggested Citation

  • Alatas, Vivi & Cameron, Lisa, 2003. "The impact of minimum wages on employment in a low income country : an evaluation using the difference-differences approach," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2985, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2985
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mary Amiti & Jozef Konings, 2007. "Trade Liberalization, Intermediate Inputs, and Productivity: Evidence from Indonesia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(5), pages 1611-1638, December.
    2. Melanie Khamis, 2013. "Does the minimum wage have a higher impact on the informal than on the formal labour market? Evidence from quasi-experiments," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(4), pages 477-495, February.
    3. Pierre, Gaelle & Scarpetta, Stefano, 2004. "Employment regulations through the eyes of employers - do they matter and how do firms respond to them?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3463, The World Bank.
    4. Mr. Christopher S Adam & Mr. Edward F Buffie, 2020. "The Minimum Wage Puzzle in Less Developed Countries: Reconciling Theory and Evidence," IMF Working Papers 2020/023, International Monetary Fund.
    5. János Köllö, 2010. "Hungary: The Consequences of Doubling the Minimum Wage," Chapters, in: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead (ed.), The Minimum Wage Revisited in the Enlarged EU, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Chris Manning, 2004. "Legislating for Labour Protection: Betting on the Weak or the Strong?," Departmental Working Papers 2004-08, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    7. Haroon Bhorat & Ravi Kanbur & Benjamin Stanwix, 2017. "Minimum Wages in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Primer," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 32(1), pages 21-74.
    8. Bird, Kelly & Manning, Chris, 2008. "Minimum Wages and Poverty in a Developing Country: Simulations from Indonesia's Household Survey," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 916-933, May.
    9. Harrison, Ann & Scorse, Jason, 2005. "Improving the conditions of workers? Minimum wage legilsation and anit-sweatshop activism," MPRA Paper 36276, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Mary Amiti & Lisa Cameron, 2007. "Economic Geography and Wages," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 15-29, February.
    11. Haroon Bhorat & Tara Caetano & Benjamin Jourdan & Ravi Kanbur & Christopher Rooney & Benjamin Stanwix & Ingrid Woolard, 2016. "Investigating the Feasibility of a National Minimum Wage for South Africa," Working Papers 201601, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    12. Mary Amiti & Lisa Ann Cameron, 2004. "Economic Geography and Wages: The Case of Indonesia," IMF Working Papers 2004/079, International Monetary Fund.
    13. Stephen Devereux, 2005. "Can minimum wages contribute to poverty reduction in poor countries?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(7), pages 899-912.
    14. Pierre, Gaelle & Scarpetta, Stefano, 2007. "How labor market policies can combine workers'protection with job creation : a partial review of some key issues and policy options," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 41439, The World Bank.
    15. Ann Harrison & Jason Scorse, 2004. "Moving Up or Moving Out? Anti-Sweatshop Activists and Labor Market Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 10492, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Harrison, Ann & Scorse, Jason, 2003. "Globalization's impact on compliance with labor standards," MPRA Paper 36450, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Kertesi, Gábor & Köllő, János, 2004. "A 2001. évi minimálbér-emelés foglalkoztatási következményei [The employment consequences of the 2001 rise in the minimum wage]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 293-324.
    18. Kenn Ariga, 2016. "Minimum wage through the looking glass," KIER Working Papers 927, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    19. Harrison, Ann E. & Scorse, Jason, 2008. "Do foreign-owned firms pay more?," MPRA Paper 15637, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Betcherman, Gordon, 2014. "Labor market regulations : what do we know about their impacts in developing countries ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6819, The World Bank.
    21. Margherita Comola & Luiz de Mello, 2009. "How Does Decentralised Minimum-Wage Setting Affect Unemployment and Informality?: The Case of Indonesia," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 710, OECD Publishing.
    22. Armida Alisjahbana & Chris Manning, 2006. "Labour market dimensions of poverty in Indonesia," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(2), pages 235-261.
    23. Giovanni Immordino, 2003. "Fairness, NGO Activism and the Welfare of Less Developed Countries," CSEF Working Papers 101, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy, revised 09 Dec 2007.
    24. Dyah Savitri Pritadrajati, 2021. "Determinants Of School Enrolment In Indonesia: The Role Of Minimum Wage," Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking, Bank Indonesia, vol. 24(2), pages 181-204, June.
    25. Chris Manning & Kurnya Roesad, 2007. "The Manpower Law of 2003 and its implementing regulations: Genesis, key articles and potential impact," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 59-86.

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