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Channels Of Adjustment In Labor Markets: The 2007-2009 Federal Minimum Wage Increase, Tetyana Zelenska

Economics Dissertations

In the debate on the economic effects of labor market regulation much work has focused on minimum wages. A legal minimum wage remains one of the most controversial policy issues. The controversy arises for two main reasons: first, there is no consensus over the economic impacts of the minimum wage mandate, especially its effect on employment, and, second, there is a disagreement over the empirical methods used to identify the minimum wage effects. Although the standard competitive model predicts that wage floors should have a negative impact on employment, empirical work shows mixed results.

This dissertation explores a number of …