Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Population Health Research Brief Series
Allowing Cities to Raise the Minimum Wage Could Prevent Hundreds of Infant Deaths Annually
Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez
January 2021
This research brief discusses findings that show each additional dollar of minimum wage reduces infant deaths by up to 1.8% annually in large U.S. cities. Over 1,400 infants could be saved annually if localities were allowed to raise the minimum wage to $15. State laws that prevent cities and counties from raising their minimum wage contribute to infant deaths.