The Impact of the Minimum Wage on Male and Female Employment and Earnings in India

This study examines how employment and wages for men and women respond to changes in the minimum wage in India, a country known for its extensive system of minimum wage regulations across states and industries. Using repeated cross sections of India's National Sample Survey Organization employm...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nidhiya Menon, Yana van der Meulen Rodgers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: World Scientific Publishing 2017-03-01
Series:Asian Development Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ADEV_a_00080
Description
Summary:This study examines how employment and wages for men and women respond to changes in the minimum wage in India, a country known for its extensive system of minimum wage regulations across states and industries. Using repeated cross sections of India's National Sample Survey Organization employment survey data for the period 1983–2008 merged with a newly created database of minimum wage rates, we find that, regardless of gender, minimum wages in urban areas have little to no impact on labor market outcomes. However, minimum wage rates increase earnings in the rural sector, especially for men, without any employment losses. Minimum wage rates also increase the residual gender wage gap, which may be explained by weaker compliance among firms that hire female workers.
ISSN:0116-1105
1996-7241