University of Sussex, and the Low Pay Commission, UK, and IZA, Germany
IZA World of Labor role
Author
Current position
Professor of Economics, University of Sussex; Independent Commission Member, Low Pay Commission
Research interest
Labor markets, minimum wages, inequality, and poverty
Past positions
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE, 2002–2007; Senior Lecturer in Economics, Queen Mary University of London, 2002–2006
Qualifications
PhD Economics, University College London, 1997
Selected publications
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“The UK minimum wage at age 22: A regression discontinuity approach.” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A 177:1 (2014): 95–114 (with R. Riley and D. Wilkinson).
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“Child poverty in Britain: Past lessons and future prospects.” National Institute Economic Review 218:1 (2011): R7–R19.
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“Child poverty in Britain: Did work work?” In: Gregg, P., and J. Wadsworth (eds). The Labour Market in Winter: The State of Working Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
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“Caught in a trap: Wage mobility in Great Britain 1975–94.” Economica 67:268 (2000): 477–497.
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“The evolution of individual male earnings in Great Britain: 1975–95.” Economic Journal 110:460 (2000): 27–49.
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How are minimum wages set?
Countries set minimum wages in different ways, and some countries set different wages for different groups of workers
Richard Dickens, November 2015The minimum wage has never been as high on the political agenda as it is today, with politicians in Germany, the UK, the US, and other OECD countries calling for substantial increases in the rate. One reason for the rising interest is the growing consensus among economists and policymakers that minimum wages, set at the right level, may help low-paid workers without harming employment prospects. But how should countries set their minimum wage rate? The processes that countries use to set their minimum wage rate and structure differ greatly, as do the methods for adjusting it. The different approaches have merits and shortcomings.MoreLess