Divergent Paths: Differential Impacts of Minimum Wage Increases on Individuals with Disabilities

Jeffrey Clemens, Melissa Gentry and Jonathan Meer

No 33437, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We analyze the differential effects of minimum wage increases on individuals with disabilities using data from the American Community Survey and leveraging state-level minimum wage variation during the 2010s. We find that large minimum wage increases significantly reduce employment and labor force participation for individuals of all working ages with severe disabilities. These declines are accompanied by a downward shift in the wage distribution and an increase in public assistance receipt. By contrast, we find no employment effects for all but young individuals with either non-severe disabilities or no disabilities. Our findings highlight important heterogeneities in minimum wage impacts, raising concerns about labor market policies’ unintended consequences for populations on the margins of the labor force.

JEL-codes: J14 J21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-inv and nep-lma
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