Minimum Wage, “Lighthouse Effect” and Poverty

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the minimum wage policy in various segments of Brazilian labor markets. Our basic technique is to quantify corner solutions imposed by the minimum wage. These points are later used as a focalization mechanism in the simulation of upper bounds of the effects...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Neri, Marcelo, Gonzaga, Gustavo, Camargo, José Márcio
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2001
Country:Brasil
Institution:EDITORA 34
Repository:Revista de Economia Política
Language:Portuguese
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs2.centrodeeconomiapolitica.org:article/975
Online Access:https://centrodeeconomiapolitica.org.br/repojs/index.php/journal/article/view/975
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Minimum wage
inequality
poverty
Salário mínimo
desigualdade
pobreza
Description
Summary:This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the minimum wage policy in various segments of Brazilian labor markets. Our basic technique is to quantify corner solutions imposed by the minimum wage. These points are later used as a focalization mechanism in the simulation of upper bounds of the effects of the minimum wage on poverty measures. We highlight the importance of two unusual effects of the minimum wage, i) The high percentage of informal employees receiving exactly one minimum wage, this enhances the effects of the minimum on poverty, and ii) The use of the minimum wage as a numeraire in wage determination, in particular within the formal sector. JEL Classification: J31; J38.