A minimum wage increase of $1 was linked to a significant decline in suicide rates among adults ages 18 to 64, according to research published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The study suggests that social welfare policies can affect population health and reduce socioeconomic disparities in health. Three quick takeaways from the report:
- Increasing state-level minimum wage by $1 was linked to a decrease in suicide rate of 3.4 percent to 5.9 percent.
- This effect was observed among adults with a high school education or less.
- The link was strongest when unemployment was high.
"Our findings are consistent with the notion that policies designed to improve the livelihoods of individuals with less education, who are more likely to work at lower wages and at higher risk for adverse mental health outcomes, can reduce the suicide risk in this group," the authors wrote.
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