Alcohol taxes and labor market outcomes.
We present reduced form estimates of the effect of alcohol taxes on employment, weekly work hours, and wages. The reduced form estimates are meaningful in two ways: first, they provide estimates of the effect of an important public policy tool--alcohol taxes--and second, they can be used to evaluate hypotheses about the structural effects of alcohol use on labor market outcomes. Estimates indicate that there is a weak and indeterminate relationship between alcohol taxes and labor market outcomes. This implies that alcohol use does not adversely affect labor market outcomes and is inconsistent with findings from previous studies.
Dave
Dhaval
D
CUNY Graduate Center and National Bureau of Economic Research, New York, NY 10016-4309, USA.
Kaestner
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011049:Social Control Policies; D013660:Taxes / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States