Salary increase improves the health
Having even a minimal raise, low-wage workers start to hurt less.
A study of scientists from the University of California (USA) published in journal B. E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy.
The researchers analyzed data from 19 of thousands of Americans 25 to 64 years. Data were collected from 1997 to 2013. They included information on employment, wages, absenteeism and health status of participants.
The analysis showed that raising the minimum wage just one dollar is of great importance for low-skilled and low-paid workers.
Such a small increase to 32% reduces the chances that employees not come to work because of illness. And the probability that the worker will assess their health status as “good” or “excellent” increased by 2.1%.
“Our study speaks in favor of raising the minimum wage, as in this case, the workers are less likely to take sick leave and feeling better,” said lead author, specialist in public health Professor Paul Lee (Paul Leigh).