1 US dollar increase in minimum wage linked to 3.5-6% fall in suicide rate

▴ US dollar
A US$1 increase in the minimum wage is linked to a fall in the suicide rate of between 3.5 and 6% among people with high school education or less, reveals a 26-year study, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

A US$1 increase in the minimum wage is linked to a fall in the suicide rate of between 3.5 and 6% among people with high school education or less, reveals a 26-year study, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

The effect seems to be strongest during periods of high unemployment, the findings indicate.

In 2017, there were more than 47,000 preventable suicide deaths in the USA, with suicides accounting for nearly one in five (19%) deaths among those aged 18-24. Between 1999 and 2017, suicide rates increased by more than 30% in half of US states.

Suicide risk is often associated with financial stressors, but less is known about the potential impact of economic interventions, such as minimum wage policies, on suicide rates.

To try and find out, the researchers looked at the difference between the effective state and federal minimum hourly wage for all 50 states and Washington DC and state unemployment and suicide rates among 18 to 64-year olds, for every month between 1990 and 2015.

Between 1990 and 2015, there were 478 changes in state minimum wages across US states. The average difference in wages between the states at and above the federal minimum wage was US$ 2200/year for a full time worker.

In 1990, 36 states had a minimum wage equal to the federal rate; by 2015, this had fallen to 21 states.

Between 1990 and 2015, 399,206 people with high school education or less took their own lives compared with 140,176 people with a college degree or higher.

The researchers estimated a 3.5-6% reduction in suicides for every dollar increase in the minimum wage among 18-64 year olds with high school education or less. No such effect was apparent among those who were educated to college level or higher.

The association between minimum wage and suicide rates differed by state-level unemployment rate during the 26-year timeframe.

When this was high (above 6.5%), progressively higher minimum wages were associated with lower suicide rates; when unemployment was low, on the other hand, the association with the minimum wage weakened.

Based on these estimates, the researchers calculated that after the 2009 peak in unemployment following the financial crash, 13,800 suicides could have been prevented between 2009 and 2015 among less well educated 18-64 year-olds if a US$1 dollar increase had been added to the minimum wage. A US$2 increase could have prevented 25,900 suicides, they calculated.

Over the entire 26-year period, the researchers estimated that a US$1 increase in state minimum wage could have staved off 27,550 suicides in this group of workers, while a US$2 increase could have staved off 57,350 suicides.

Tags : #dollar #decrease #with #increase #rate #medicircle

Related Stories

Loading Please wait...

-Advertisements-




Trending Now

Scientists in Moscow Develop Fetal Phantom for Obstetric UltrasoundNovember 19, 2024
International Men’s Day: A Celebration of Strength, Vulnerability, and ChangeNovember 19, 2024
The Bloody Truth: Why Menstruation Is Still a Taboo in Indian SchoolsNovember 19, 2024
Toxic Air, Fragile Hearts: The Hidden Cost of Pollution on Heart Failure PatientsNovember 19, 2024
Government of Telangana Hosts the AI in Healthcare Summit – Road to BioAsia 2025November 18, 2024
In yet another groundbreaking medical milestone, Sarvodaya Hospital successfully performs India’s youngest cochlear implant on a 5- month old babyNovember 18, 2024
Sightsavers India in collaboration with AbbVie Therapeutics India Private Limited Hosted the 4th State-Level Consultation on ‘Prevention of Visual Impairment Caused by Glaucoma’November 16, 2024
Is Your Saree Hurting You? How Tight Waist Petticoats Could Trigger Skin CancerNovember 16, 2024
10 New-born Lives Lost: The Jhansi Hospital Fire That Shook India’s ConscienceNovember 16, 2024
Streax introduces revolutionary Shampoo Hair Colour in South India at accessible price point.November 15, 2024
The Silent Killer in Your Genes: Can Splicing Errors Unlock New Cancer Cures?November 15, 2024
Stress on a Schedule: What Your Gut Bacteria Know That You Don’tNovember 15, 2024
A Preventable Catastrophe: Why Are Children Still Dying from Measles?November 15, 2024
The University of Tasmania invites applications for Master of Marine and Antarctic ScienceNovember 14, 2024
ICMR’s Bold Bet: Can India’s Scientists Deliver World-First Health Breakthroughs?November 14, 2024
The Dark Reality Behind India’s Ayushman Bharat: Profits Before Patients?November 14, 2024
Not a Fan of Exercise? Here’s How Few Steps You Actually Need for Better HealthNovember 14, 2024
Shiprocket launches AI Powered Shiprocket Copilot to empower a Self-Reliant Digital Future for over 1,00,000+ Indian MSMEsNovember 13, 2024
AIIMS Darbhanga and More: Can PM Modi’s 12,000 Crore Investment Turn Bihar into India’s Next Growth Engine?November 13, 2024
Self-Made Survivor: How a Virologist Battled Breast Cancer with Her Own Lab-Grown VirusesNovember 13, 2024