The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise (ISFE), part of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, is hosting a presentation by Joseph J. Sabia, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies (CHEPS) at San Diego State University, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 21. The program and discussion, titled "Do Higher Minimum Wages Reduce Poverty?," will take place online via Zoom.

Dr. Sabia is a labor and health economist who has published numerous studies on minimum wage policy. His research also examines the economics of risky health behaviors, labor market discrimination against sexual minorities, and the effects of war on military families.

According to ISFE Director Dr. Charles Courtemanche, “Economic theory suggests that increasing the minimum wage lifts some people out of poverty but puts others out of work. However, there is much debate about whether real-world evidence supports these predictions. Dr. Sabia is a leading expert on the empirical evidence surrounding the minimum wage debate, and his talk is particularly timely given the ongoing debate surrounding a $15 federal minimum wage.”

The event is free and open to the public. Interested individuals can register here.

The Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise is dedicated to understanding the role that markets play in the economy and in society. The institute’s mission is to generate intellectually rigorous research and open dialogue to discover and understand how free enterprise affects peoples’ lives and the well-being of society.