David Wittenburg

A Reassessment of the New Economics of the Minimum Wage Literature with Monthly Data from the Current Population Survey

We estimate the employment effects of federal minimum wage increases using monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1979 through 1997. We find that the empirical differences in the new minimum wage literature based on CPS data primarily can be traced to alternative methods of controlling for macroeconomic conditions. We argue that the macroeconomic controls commonly included in models where no employment impact is found are inappropriate. We consistently find a significant but modest negative relationship between minimum wage increases and teenage employment using alternative controls or allowing employer responses to the policy to occur with some delay.

Who Minimum Wage Increases Bite: An Analysis Using Monthly Data from the SIPP and the CPS

We use monthly data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the Current Population Survey to estimate the effect of the minimum wage. Minimum wage increases significantly reduce the employment of the most vulnerable groups in the working-age population—young adults without a high school degree (aged 20–24), young black adults and teenagers (aged 16–24), and teenagers (aged 16–19). While we also find that minimum wage increases significantly reduce the overall employment of young adults and teenagers, these more vulnerable subpopulations are even more adversely affected.

The Response of Hours of Work to Increases in the Minimum Wage

This paper examines the effect of minimum wage increases on the hours of work of teenagers (ages 16 to 19) using monthly data from the Current Population Survey. Our findings are consistent with the prediction from neoclassical theory that minimum wage increases have a negative effect on labor demand. However, the estimates we provide here for the elasticity of hours of teen labor demanded with respect to the minimum wage suggest that alternative estimates based on aggregate employment consistently understate the total impact of minimum wage increases on teenage labor utilization.

Changing circumstances: Experiences of child SSI recipients before and after their age-18 redetermination for adult benefits

Youth with behavioral disorders and mental disorders are much less likely to receive SSI at age 19.

A life-cycle perspective on the transition to adulthood among children receiving Supplemental Security Income payments

Youth who receive cash benefits from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the largest federal program that provides cash payments to low-income youth with severe disabilities and their families, face several challenges in transitioning into adulthood. From a human capital development perspective, the disabilities and health problems during childhood and early adulthood as well as the family environment form important inputs that will likely influence long-term adult outcomes. This paper provides a review of some of the challenges these youth face in transitioning into adulthood using a life-cycle framework and presents descriptive statistics on their challenges and outcomes into early adulthood. Our summary illustrates the challenges that SSI youth face as they make the transition to adulthood and shows how the long-term employment and program outcomes of this population have changed over time. The findings provide a broader framework for the remaining five papers in this issue and underscore the need for rigorous testing of promising interventions and a carefully balanced mix of statistical and econometric analyses based on longitudinal data sources with a long time horizon.

Providing supports to youth with disabilities transitioning to adulthood: Case descriptions from the Youth Transition Demonstration

Post-school employment rates for youth with significant disabilities remain intractably low. An important policy concern is whether youth who receive disability cash benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) are obtaining the necessary supports to make a successful transition to adult life. The SSA initiated the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects in an attempt to develop services and supports to assist youth in making a successful transition into adulthood. This article provides a detailed description of the intervention components for the YTD projects and presents three case descriptions to illustrate how youth can potentially benefit from these services. The selected cases in this paper illustrate the potential for youth with disabilities to leverage project services and move into employment.

Early Transition Experiences of Transition-Age Child SSI Recipients New Evidence From the National Survey of Children and Families

This article describes the challenges faced by pretransition-age (14 to 17 years) young people with disabilities receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and outlines potential policy options to support their transition. The article is based on a descriptive analysis of newly released data from the 2001 National Survey of SSI Children and Families and the results of interviews with key policy experts. We find that in addition to their health status, these young people face a multidimensional set of difficulties in making a successful transition, including a high prevalence of family disadvantage, problems in school, and trouble with the police. In addition, despite the potential for losing SSI benefits and public health care coverage at age 18, they have generally low levels of participation in labor market preparation activities. The article discusses a variety of possible changes to improve the system of supports for transition-age young people with disabilities.

The disability system and programs to promote employment for people with disabilities

This paper examines employment-focused interventions within the US disability system. Our review illustrates the challenges of developing and implementing these types of initiatives, despite substantial policy interest. Our findings indicate that none of the demonstrations we reviewed have the potential to lead to substantial caseload reductions that could reverse program growth. However, they can inform future designs, particularly the importance of customizing supports to very well-defined target populations.JEL codeD04

Posttransition Experiences of Former Child SSI Recipients

This article uses newly released data from the National Survey of SSI Children and Families, a survey conducted by the Social Security Administration, to study the transition period for a cohort of child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients following the redetermination of benefits at age 18. The work examines the differences between those who do not receive SSI benefits after age 18 as adults and those who continue to do so, focusing on the connection between pre‐age‐18 characteristics and post‐age‐18 outcomes. Comparisons show important differences in the demographic and human capital development characteristics across these two groups, indicating a possible need for transition supports for subgroups within the child SSI population. Such supports are especially needed among those who are no longer receiving benefits after age 18 and are not engaged in any schooling, employment, or training activity.

Building Financial Bridges to Economic Development and Community Integration

Abstract Research on asset accumulation among the population of people with disabilities is quite limited. Previous work indicates that people with disabilities have significantly fewer assets than people without disabilities. Research on asset development suggests that in general, individuals in lower income tiers are able to save and that holding assets has a positive relationship with general personal well being, economic security, and civic behavior and community involvement. Many individuals with disabilities are living in chronic poverty. For those who are unable to work, the accumulation of assets is difficult. Without significant savings, people with disabilities are unable to afford down payments on homes, capitalize small businesses, pay for advanced education, purchase assistive technology, or make accessibility-related architectural modifications to their homes. This paper recommends four significant areas to be considered in developing a research agenda on asset development for people with disabilities.