How does increasing the minimum wage affect household food insecurity?

Research suggests that higher minimum wages can act as an antipoverty tool, potentially resulting in improved welfare outcomes such as reducing food insecurity. This study examines the impact of state minimum wage increases on food insecurity from 2010 to 2019. Using household‐level data and quasi‐e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 391 - 404
Main Authors Nuworsu, Eugene K., Katare, Bhagyashree
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.09.2025
Subjects
food insecurity
minimum wage
Rasch score
very low food security
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ISSN2769-2485
2769-2485
DOI10.1002/jaa2.70019

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Summary:Research suggests that higher minimum wages can act as an antipoverty tool, potentially resulting in improved welfare outcomes such as reducing food insecurity. This study examines the impact of state minimum wage increases on food insecurity from 2010 to 2019. Using household‐level data and quasi‐experimental approaches, we find evidence that suggests state minimum wage increases reduce the prevalence of very low food insecurity. Also, we find some limited evidence suggesting that minimum wage increases reduce the severity of food insecurity. Our results on the effects of minimum wage increases on very low food security for low‐income households hold across alternative methods.
ISSN:2769-2485
2769-2485
DOI:10.1002/jaa2.70019