AQR-Lab presents the

The Minister of Employment, Social Affairs and Family of the Catalan Government, Dolors Bassa, and the Vicepresident of the International and Cooperation Area of the Barcelona Metropolitan Authority (BMA), Alfred Bosch participated in the presentation of the "Study on the impact of the adoption of a minimum wage locally. International evidence "carried out by AQR-Lab Laboratory of Applied Economics at the University of Barcelona.

One of the main conclusions of the work, based on a comparative analysis of international academic research, is that the introduction of a minimum wage does not destroy jobs, on the opposite common belief up to recent years. Among the various positive effects of the minimum wage, the authors highlight an increase in purchasing power on the part of workers in the lowest tail of the wage distribution, a fact that generates more economic activity; and a decrease in poverty rates and inequality, which also results in less dependence on social benefits. However, there is an increase in prices in certain sectors and goods.

Since reviewed studies are focused on territories that are quite different to the reality of the BMA and the Catalan economy, the study also recommended an ex-ante evaluation on the characteristics (wage structure, sectoral specialization, level of training of workers, etc) of the MAB that would affect the application of the minimum wage. It also suggests a whole set of issues to think about before implementing the measure (such as the wage level, the timing of the introduction of the measure, the exclusion or not of certain groups or sectors, or the implementation mechanisms, among others).

For further information please check the study (in Catalan): [+ ] and the slides used in the presentation (in Catalan): [+]