The Effect of Extending Minimum Wages to Cover Household Maids

J. Peter Mattila

Journal of Human Resources, 1973, vol. 8, issue 3, 365-382

Abstract: Recent federal legislation has proposed that minimum wage laws be extended to cover one of the largest occupational groups currently excluded-household maids. This paper estimates supply and demand functions for maids using cross-section data. The results strongly suggest that households are very quick to find substitutes as the relative cost of their maids rises. Demand for maids would have declined by over 30 percent if a minimum wage of $1.60 had been enforced in 1972. Historical trends in the occupation are consistent with the cross-section analysis.

Date: 1973
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:8:y:1973:i:3:p:365-382

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