The Minimum Wage and Consumer Nutrition
The Minimum Wage and Consumer Nutrition
复制标题
DOI：
10.1177/00222437211023475
复制
发表时间：
2021-09-06
影响因子：
6.1
通讯作者：
Pattabhiramaiah, Adithya
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Palazzolo, Mike;Pattabhiramaiah, Adithya
美国农业部估计，九分之一的美国家庭处于“食品不安全”状态：无法购买足够或健康的食品。公共政策倡导者和政界人士指出，现行的联邦最低工资是罪魁祸首，称其为“饥饿工资”。本研究考察了最低工资的提高是否以及在多大程度上改善了最低工资收入者购买的食品的数量和营养质量，以及消费者行为的这些潜在变化对营销人员的影响。作者表明，可能赚取最低工资的家庭增加了他们购买的卡路里作为对最低工资上涨的回应，并且这些收益主要出现在最低工资上涨之前购买最少食物的家庭中。虽然作者没有发现证据表明普通家庭改善了所购买卡路里的营养成分，但他们确实发现了证据，表明最不健康的家庭（根据过去的购买情况衡量）购买了更多的健康食品，以应对最低工资的上涨。总的来说，研究结果表明，提高最低工资不仅可以帮助家庭负担更多的卡路里，还可以鼓励一些家庭购买更健康的卡路里。此外，作者还发现，拿最低工资的家庭越来越愿意购买新的食品杂货。这种尝试以前未购买产品的开放性为制造商提供了促销和产品线规划的机会。它还为具有营养友好型品牌形象的零售商提供了一个推动消费者购买更健康食品的机会。
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that one in nine U.S. households is "food insecure": unable to purchase sufficient, or healthy food. Public policy advocates and politicians have pointed to the prevailing federal minimum wage as a culprit, labeling it a "starvation wage." This study examines whether and to what extent increases to the minimum wage have improved the quantity and nutritional quality of food purchased by minimum wage earners, and what implications these potential changes in consumer behavior have for marketers. The authors show that households likely to be earning the minimum wage increase their calories purchased in response to minimum wage increases, and that these gains are predominantly found among households purchasing the least amount of food prior to the minimum wage rising. Although the authors do not find evidence that the average household improves the nutritional content of calories purchased, they do find evidence that the least healthy households (as measured by past purchases) buy more healthy foods in response to rising minimum wages. Overall, the findings suggest that higher minimum wages may not only help households afford more calories but also encourage some households to purchase more healthy calories. In addition, the authors find an increased openness among minimum wage households to purchasing new grocery items. This openness to trying previously unpurchased products offers promotion and product line planning opportunities to manufacturers. It also offers retailers with a nutrition-friendly brand image an opportunity to nudge consumers toward purchasing more healthy foods.