Policymakers and researchers have sought to understand the causes of and effective policy responses to recent increases in mortality due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide in the US. This column examines the role of the minimum wage and the earned income tax credit – the two most important policy levers for raising incomes for low-wage workers – as tools to combat these trends. It finds that both policies significantly reduce non-drug suicides among adults without a college degree, and that the effect is stronger among women. The findings point to the role of economic policies as important determinants of health.Suggests the importance not only of welfare policy as a whole, but also one that includes a job guarantee compensated at a living wage in terms of wages and benefits.
VOX.eu
Economic policies can reduce deaths of despair
William H. Dow, Anna Godøy, Chris Lowenstein, Michael Reich
William H. Dow, Anna Godøy, Chris Lowenstein, Michael Reich
2 comments:
I've pinned that to my Home Screen on my new phone. In the news section on my phone, I keep getting articles from FEE, a libertarian - consetvative think tank, and they had an article recently saying how the minimum wage decreased jobs and lowered wages. I will send them this.
Suggests the importance not only of welfare policy as a whole, but also one that includes a job guarantee compensated at a living wage in terms of wages and benefits. Tom Hickey
To me it suggests the need for economic justice and that would include a Citizen's Dividend as the SOLE means of creating fiat beyond that created by deficit spending for the general welfare and for the abolition of all privileges for depository institutions, aka "the banks", since those privileges are a major cause of so much misery to begin with.
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