Effects of increased minimum wages by unemployment rate on suicide in the USA

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: John A Kaufman, Emory University; Leslie K Salas-Hernandez, Emory University; Kelli Komro, Emory University; Melvin Livingston III, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-03-01
• Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-212981
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
• Volume: 74
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 219
• End Page: 224
• Grant/Funding Information: The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health supported this work (award R01MD010241).
• Keywords: Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; UNITED-STATES; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; HEALTH; GREAT RECESSION; COSTS

Abstract

Background Social welfare policies such as the minimum wage can affect population health, though the impact may differ by the level of unemployment experienced by society at a given time. Methods We ran difference-in-differences models using monthly data from all 50 states and Washington, DC from 1990 to 2015. We used educational attainment to define treatment and control groups. The exposure was the difference between state and federal minimum wage in US2015, defined both by the date the state law became effective and lagged by 1 year. Models included state and year fixed effects, and additional state-level covariates to account for state-specific time-varying confounding. We assessed effect modification by the state-level unemployment rate, and estimated predicted suicide counts under different minimum wage scenarios. Results The effect of a US1 increase in the minimum wage ranged from a 3.4% decrease (95% CI 0.4 to 6.4) to a 5.9% decrease (95% CI 1.4 to 10.2) in the suicide rate among adults aged 18-64 years with a high school education or less. We detected significant effect modification by unemployment rate, with the largest effects of minimum wage on reducing suicides observed at higher unemployment levels. Conclusion Minimum wage increases appear to reduce the suicide rate among those with a high school education or less, and may reduce disparities between socioeconomic groups. Effects appear greatest during periods of high unemployment.