Abstract

We examine the impact of living wages on crime. Past research has found that living wages appear to increase unemployment while providing greater returns to market work. The impact on crime, therefore, is unclear. Using data on annual crime rates for large cities in the United States, we find that living-wage ordinances are associated with notable reductions in property-related crime and no discernable impact on nonproperty crimes.

Recommended citation: Fernandez, Jose, Thomas Holman, and John V. Pepper. “The Impact of Living-Wage Ordinances on Urban Crime.” Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society 53.3 (2014): 478-500.
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