Do minimum wages alleviate poverty? You can use state or county data to answer this question. The idea is that the minimum wage varies across states because some states have higher minimums than the...

Do minimum wages alleviate poverty? You can use state or county data to answer this question. The idea is that the minimum wage varies across states because some states have higher minimums than the federal minimum. Further, there are changes over time in the nominal minimum within a state, some due to changes at the federal level and some because of changes at the state level. Neumark and Wascher (1995) used a panel data set on states to estimate the effects of the minimum wage on the employment rates of young workers, as well as on school enrollment rates.