Reallocation Effects of the Minimum Wage

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 137
Issue: 1
Pages: 267-328

Authors (5)

Christian Dustmann (not in RePEc) Attila Lindner (not in RePEc) Uta Schönberg (not in RePEc) Matthias Umkehrer (not in RePEc) Philipp vom Berge (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.609 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We investigate the wage, employment, and reallocation effects of the introduction of a nationwide minimum wage in Germany that affected 15% of all employees. Based on identification designs that exploit variation in exposure across individuals and local areas, we find that the minimum wage raised wages but did not lower employment. It also led to the reallocation of low-wage workers from smaller to larger, from lower- to higher-paying, and from less to more productive establishments. This worker upgrading accounts for up to 17% of the wage increase induced by the minimum wage. Moreover, at the regional level, average establishment quality increased in more affected areas in the years following the introduction of the minimum wage.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:137:y:2022:i:1:p:267-328.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-25