Raising the minimum wage during peak unemployment in 2009 could have prevented an estimated 26,000 deaths. (Photo: Bigstock)
Debt and finances: we know they're a key source of stress for employees, but a new study suggests that alleviating that stress could be as simple as increasing the minimum wage.
The study, conducted by researchers as Emory University and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that increasing the minimum wage by $1 resulted in a decrease of between 3.4 percent and 5.9 percent in suicides among those 18 to 64 years old with a high school education or less.
"Suicide and depression disproportionately affect individuals with lower educational attainment and lower incomes," the authors write. "Individuals with less education are more likely to work at or near the minimum wage; among workers ages 16 or older years in 2017, 4 percent of those without a high school diploma were paid the federal minimum, compared with less than 1 percent of college graduates."
To reach their conclusions, researchers looked at data from all 50 states from 1990-2015, comparing the difference between state and federal minimum wage rates. The study focused specifically on those with a high school diploma or less, and also compared periods of high unemployment to low, finding that the effects of a wage increase were most pronounced during periods of high unemployment.
The correlation to periods of high unemployment offers a significant takeaway–based on the results, raising the minimum wage during peak unemployment in 2009 could have prevented an estimated 26,000 deaths.
"Our findings are consistent with the notion that policies designed to improve the livelihoods of individuals with less education, who are more likely to work at lower wages and at higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes, can reduce the suicide risk in this group," the authors write, adding that "while the minimum wage can serve as a population health intervention, it is important for society to provide other buffers between financial status and health, so that low education and economic insecurity do not increase the risk of mental illness and death."
There are still plenty of variables to take into account, and more work to be done, the researchers point out. As noted by NPR, the study did not address the prevalence of suicide attempts and depression, the repercussions of raising the minimum wage on hiring and staffing, or the impact of public assistance programs such as food stamps.
"There's a lot of information that we would like to have to fill in the gaps," lead author John Kaufman of Emory University told NPR via email.
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
