Plenary Session: Minimum Wages Presented by: Alan. B. Krueger., Princeton University

Discussants: 1 Richard Blundell, University College London and Institute of Fiscal Studies 2 Arindrajit Dube, University of Massachusetts Amherst 3 Stephen Machin, University College London Minimum wages have never been so popular. More than 100 countries worldwide now have a statutory minimum wage and politicians across the UK, the US and other OECD countries are implementing substantial increases in minimum wage levels. On 1 April, the UK Chancellor’s ‘National Living Wage’ will come into force and is set to increase to 60% of median earnings by 2020. Yet two decades ago, the common view was that minimum wages do more harm than good. In this session, Princeton economist and former US presidential adviser Alan Krueger will take us through the past 30 years of minimum wage research to understand how academic and political views have shifted. We will hear responses from Richard Blundell, Arindrajit Dube and Stephen Machin on decent increases in the US and the UK and the issue of how minimum wages interact with in-work benefits.