最低工资、企业生产率与技能溢价

Minimum Wage,Firm's Productivity and Skill Premium

本文构建了一个包含劳动力(技能工和非技能工)和生产者的两部门"效率工资"拓展模型,试图从企业生产率的视角理解最低工资如何影响技能溢价。理论分析表明,在最低工资制度的外生冲击下,企业生产率在技能溢价的形成中同时扮演着"中介效应"和"调节效应"的双重角色,进而本文提出两个基本命题。随后,利用2004年中国工业企业数据库和251个地级市统计数据,展开了系列实证检验。结果发现,最低工资与技能溢价显著正相关,具体表现为:企业生产率越高,最低工资对技能溢价的正向作用越大;最低工资显著改善了企业生产率,从而扩大了技能溢价。由此可见,最低工资制度的执行不能抑制技能溢价,反而加剧了这一现象。

This paper proposes an extended efficiency wage model with two sectors of labors （skilled and unskilled workers） and producers, and then explores the impacts of minimum wage on skill premium viewed through firm＇ s productivity. Our theoretical analysis reveals that, with the exogenous shocks of minimum wage, the mediate and moderating effects running from firm＇ s productivity to skill premium are both proved. Further, using the survey database conducted by Chinese National Bureau of Statistics and 251 city-level data in 2004, this paper shows that there is a significant positive relationship between minimum wage and skill premium. Specifically, the positive role of minimum wage is pronounced in firms with higher productivity, while minimum wage significantly improves firm＇ s productivity which is an important determinant of skill premium. Therefore, the minimum wage policy can＇ t restrain the wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers, but provides an opposite effect on exacerbating the issue.