Data and Code for: Minimum Wage Increases and Low-Wage Employment: Evidence from Seattle

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Ekaterina Jardim, Amazon; Mark Long, University of Washington; Robert Plotnick, University of Washington; Emma van Inwegen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jacob Vigdor, University of Washington; Hilary Wething, Pennsylvania State University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
README_revisions_0921.xlsx application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 10.1 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
Thumbs.db application/x-tika-msoffice 10 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
figure_a3.png image/png 49.8 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
figure_a4_a5_a6.R text/x-rsrc 27.6 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
figure_a9_a10_a13_a.R text/x-rsrc 20.5 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
figure_a9_a10_a13_b.R text/x-rsrc 16.6 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
table_6_b.R text/x-rsrc 22.7 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM
table_revisions.xlsx application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet 21.5 KB 09/10/2021 10:55:AM

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This repository contains code and the publicly disclosed data to accompany the article, "Minimum Wage Increases and Low-Wage Employment: Evidence from Seattle."
Seattle raised its minimum wage to as much as $11 in 2015 and as much to $13 in 2016. We use Washington State administrative data to conduct two complementary analyses of its impact. Relative to outlying regions of the state identified by the synthetic control method, aggregate employment at wages less than twice the original minimum, measured by total hours worked, declined. A portion of this reduction reflects jobs transitioning to wages above the threshold; the aggregate analysis likely overstates employment effects. Longitudinal analysis of individual Seattle workers matched to counterparts in outlying regions reveals no change in the probability of continued employment, but significant reductions in hours particularly for less-experienced workers. Job turnover declined, as did hiring of new workers into low-wage jobs. Analyses suggest aggregate employment elasticities in the range of -0.2 to -2.0, concentrated on the intensive margin in the short run and largest among inexperienced workers.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms price floor; employment; earnings; synthetic control; aggregate
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      J20 Demand and Supply of Labor: General
      J38 Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: Public Policy
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Washington State
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) administrative records data; program source code

Methodology

Data Source:  View help for Data Source Administrative Records, Washington State Employment Security Department
Geographic Unit:  View help for Geographic Unit Public Use MIcrodata Area (PUMA)

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Published Versions

V1 [2022-04-22]

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