title: Estimating Potential Reductions in Premature Mortality in New York City From Raising the Minimum Wage to $15.
abstract: To assess potential reductions in premature mortality that could have been achieved in 2008 to 2012 if the minimum wage had been $15 per hour in New York City.
  
  
  
  Using the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey, we performed simulations to assess how the proportion of low-income residents in each neighborhood might change with a hypothetical $15 minimum wage under alternative assumptions of labor market dynamics. We developed an ecological model of premature death to determine the differences between the levels of premature mortality as predicted by the actual proportions of low-income residents in 2008 to 2012 and the levels predicted by the proportions of low-income residents under a hypothetical $15 minimum wage.
  
  
  
  A $15 minimum wage could have averted 2800 to 5500 premature deaths between 2008 and 2012 in New York City, representing 4% to 8% of total premature deaths in that period. Most of these avertable deaths would be realized in lower-income communities, in which residents are predominantly people of color.
  
  
  
  A higher minimum wage may have substantial positive effects on health and should be considered as an instrument to address health disparities.
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Tsu-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Konty
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Wye
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Oxiris
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Barbot
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hadler
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Linos
authors.affiliation: Tsu-Yu Tsao is with the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data Use, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. Kevin J. Konty is with the Office of School Health, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Gretchen Van Wye is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Oxiris Barbot, James L. Hadler, Natalia Linos, and Mary T. Bassett are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bassett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061213:Mortality, Premature / Q000208:ethnology*; D009519:New York City; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data