WAGE$

On June 30th Minneapolis became the 40th jurisdiction to enact a minimum wage ordinance to increase the minimum wage over the next 5 years. This ordinance will incrementally raise the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour, by 2022 for large businesses and by 2024 for small businesses.
In the WAGE$ study, we will evaluate how this increase in the local minimum wage affects the health and wellness of Minneapolis minimum-wage workers over 5 years. Evaluating this "upstream" policy is critical in moving forward the conversation about wages and health, especially as it relates to health equity. This natural experiment involves two cities: Minneapolis, Minnesota and Raleigh, North Carolina (comparison site) and is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Organizations & Partners
We have enrolled over 450 low-wage workers in Minneapolis, and Raleigh, with a combined total over 900. The study is no longer enrolling participants, but we welcome collaboration with organizations interested in working together around our findings and continued connection with our participants.
Learn how your organization can help.
Study Resources and Information for Participants
- Year 5 prize drawing information to view or download here.
- Instructions for Self-Reported Weight Measurement in Year 3 are available to download here.
- The HIPAA form can be viewed and downloaded for your records here. This document will not impact the Wages study data plans and is made available for information.
- Frequently Asked Questions on the Minimum Wages Ordinance
Study Team
Principal Investigator
- Rebekah Pratt, PhD
University of Minnesota, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Co-Investigators
- Molly De Marco, PhD
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Department of Nutrition
- Susie Nanney, PhD, MPH, RD
University of Minnesota, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
- Samuel Myers Jr., PhD
University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
- Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD, MPH
University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health
- Julian Wolfson, PhD
University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics
Project Managers
- Emily Welle
- Brett Sheppard
Research Staff
- Salma Gudaf
- Thomas Durfee
- Kristi Fordyce
Contact
(612) 270-0769
wages@umn.edu
Next Minimum Wage Increase
July 1, 2023
Small Business: $14.50
July 1, 2024
Equal to large business