The Case for an International Minimum Wage in the Context of Free Trade

Shirkosh, Mehdi (2005): The Case for an International Minimum Wage in the Context of Free Trade.

Abstract

Minimum wages and work standards have been regulated in almost all countries around the world, however the level of these standards and the strength of implementation differ considerably. Minimum wages are usually higher in industrial countries but in many third world countries are either set at levels close to or below subsistence, or are not enforced at all. The increased ability of some third world countries to produce and export manufacturing goods, combined with the liberalisation of international markets, has seen the gap between wages in the two groups of countries become more significant over time. The acceleration of the globalisation process over the last two decades, however, has led to the question of minimum wages gaining recognition as a significant international issue. This study will discuss the issue of an international minimum wage as a means for promoting international economic growth and reduction of global poverty.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Institution: University of Western Sydney
• Language: English
• Keywords: reduction of global poverty; International minimum wage; international work standards; Free or regulated trade; Globalisation; Subsistence wages; NAFTA and Mexico
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F16 - Trade and Labor Market Interactions; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F12 - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies ; Fragmentation

References

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