The Wage and Employment Impact of Minimum-Wage Laws in Three Cities

Date Published: 
Tue, 03/22/2011

John Schmitt and David Rosnick. Center for Economic Policy Research. March 22, 2011.

The Wage and Employment Impact of Minimum-Wage Laws in Three Cities” analyzes the effects of minimum wage increases in Santa Fe, San Francisco (which has one of the highest wage rates in the country), and Washington D.C., in comparison with their surrounding suburbs and nearby urban centers that didn’t experience similar wage hikes.

The study finds that raising the minimum wage had no significant negative affect on low-wage employment in any of the three cities. It also shows that small and large businesses were generally affected in the same way.

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