academic-study source

The Effects of Living Wage Laws

The study compares cities with enacted laws to cities with failed or derailed campaigns and finds higher wages for low-wage workers alongside lower employment among the least-skilled, especially under business-assistance coverage.

Reviewed July 24, 2026

Scott Adams and David Neumark, Journal of Urban Economics 58(2), 177-202 (2005).

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What this source supports

The study compares cities with enacted laws to cities with failed or derailed campaigns and finds higher wages for low-wage workers alongside lower employment among the least-skilled, especially under business-assistance coverage.

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Topic reviews: Economic Prosperity & Anti-Poverty Solutions

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July 24, 2026