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Author: Hamel, Harvey R.
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Hamel, Harvey R.
Goldberg, Marvin
Wage Expectation
In: Youth Unemployment and Minimum Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin 1657. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 1970
Cohort(s): Young Men
Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office
Keyword(s): Employment, Youth; Minimum Wage; Racial Differences; Unemployment, Youth; Wage Levels; Wages, Reservation

This chapter addresses teenagers' wage expectation using the Young Men's cohort of the NLS and also the Urban Employment Surveys of six U.S. cities. Both wages earned and wage expectations increase with age for both racial groups and are higher for whites than for other races. Contrary to the hypothesis of unreasonable expectations, the average wage expected by unemployed young men is, within any age-color group, lower than that for the employed. However, the proportion of unemployed teenage males willing to accept employment at a wage below $1.40 an hour (the minimum wage at that time) was less than the proportion of employed teenagers actually receiving less than $1.40, except among black and other races 15-17 years old. The tendency for wage expectations for most unemployed teenage groups to fall in the $1.40-$1.99 range to a greater extent than is true of wages received by employed teenagers suggests the possibility that expectations may be affected by the level of the minimum wage. For the 1517 year old group, wage expectations and wage levels received are about the same. Among the 18-19 year old group, however, wage expectations among unemployed whites are above the wage levels received by those employed. For blacks and other races in that age group, average age expectations and wages received are almost the same. Unemployed 18-19 year olds of both white and other races are less willing to take low wage jobs. It seems that the average wage expected by the unemployed teenager is below that received by those employed. The unemployed teenager appears, however, slightly disinclined to accept the lowest wage jobs compared, at least, with his employed counterpart. However, there are large numbers of teenagers, both unemployed and out of the labor force, who did indicate a willingness to accept low-wage employment--at least if the right job came along.
Bibliography Citation
Hamel, Harvey R. and Marvin Goldberg. "Wage Expectation" In: Youth Unemployment and Minimum Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin 1657. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 1970