Minimum Wages and Employment: Effects of Rising Minimum Wages on Employment of Young Workers in Washington State

Abstract

13 pagesThis paper studies the effects of minimum wage on employment using data from two neighboring US states, Washington, which has increased its minimum wage over time, and Idaho, which has kept it constant. This study attempts to use conventional regressions with recent CPS data over a longer time period to provide additional insights into the effects of minimum wage on young worker employment, looking specifically at workers between the ages of 14 to 30. Using the data from Washington and Idaho, this study finds that recent minimum wage increases in Washington have produced a statistically significant negative effect on employment