This volume was prepared by Jens Ruhose while he was working at the Ifo Institute. It was completed in December 2014 and accepted as a doctoral thesis by the Department of Economics at the University of Munich. It includes four self-contained chapters that contribute to the understanding of the...

Introduction -- The history of the minimum wage in the United States -- The effects of minimum wages on employment -- Minimum wage effects on the distribution of wages and earnings -- The effects of minimum wages on the distribution of incomes -- The effects of minimum wages on skills -- The...

A comprehensive review of evidence on the effect of minimum wages on employment, skills, wage and income distributions, and longer-term labor market outcomes concludes that the minimum wage is not a good policy tool.