Working paper
Effects of the Minimum Wage on Infant Health
NBER working paper series, Vol.22373
National Bureau of Economic Research
06/2016
DOI: 10.3386/w22373
Abstract
The minimum wage has increased in multiple states over the past three decades. We examine the impact of the state minimum wage on infant health. Using data on the universe of births in the US over 24 years, we find that an increase in the minimum wage is associated with an increase in birth weight driven by increased gestational length and fetal growth rate. The effect size is meaningful and plausible. We also find an increase in prenatal care use and a decline in smoking during pregnancy, which are some channels through which minimum wage can affect infant health.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effects of the Minimum Wage on Infant Health
- Creators
- George Wehby - University of Iowa, Health Management and PolicyDhaval M DaveRobert Kaestner
- Resource Type
- Working paper
- Publication Details
- NBER working paper series, Vol.22373
- DOI
- 10.3386/w22373
- Publisher
- National Bureau of Economic Research; Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Number of pages
- 42 pages
- Grant note
- The authors are grateful to Wei Lyu and Timothy Roeper for valuable research assistance. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
- Language
- English
- Date posted
- 06/2016
- Date updated
- 03/2018
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Health Management and Policy; Economics; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984222154002771
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