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Rev Econ Dyn. 2015 Apr 1;18(2):306-333.

Are There Long-Run Effects of the Minimum Wage?

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  • 1University of Michigan, 611 Tappan St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Abstract

An empirical consensus suggests that there are small employment effects of minimum wage increases. This paper argues that these are short-run elasticities. Long-run elasticities, which may differ from short-run elasticities, are policy relevant. This paper develops a dynamic industry equilibrium model of labor demand. The model makes two points. First, long-run regressions have been misinterpreted because even if the short- and long-run employment elasticities differ, standard methods would not detect a difference using US variation. Second, the model offers a reconciliation of the small estimated short-run employment effects with the commonly found pass-through of minimum wage increases to product prices.

KEYWORDS:

Labor demand; dynamic models; minimum wages; putty-clay

PMID:
25937790
[PubMed]
PMCID:
PMC4415654
Free PMC Article
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