Does a high minimum wage spur low-skilled emigration?

Abstract

We investigate the migration response to state and local variation in minimum wages in the United States. We find that a one dollar difference between two areas' real minimum wage is associated with 3.1% more migration of low-skilled workers towards the location with the lower minimum wage. The minimum wage does not influence the migration decisions of high-skilled workers. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.