Do Living Wage Ordinances Reduce Urban Poverty?
评估了美国城市生活工资条例对工资、工时、就业及贫困的影响，发现该条例提高了低工资工人的工资，但就业略有下降，对城市贫困的缓解作用有限。
Living wage ordinances typically mandate that businesses under contract with a city or, in some cases, receiving assistance from a city, must pay their workers a wage sufficient to support a family financially. We estimate the effects of these ordinances on wages, hours, and employment in cities that have adopted such legislation. We then examine the effects of these laws on poverty. Our findings indicate that living wage ordinances boost wages of low-wage workers. Moreover, we find a moderate negative employment effect. Finally, some of the evidence suggests that living wages achieve modest reductions in urban poverty.