During the 1940s, racial differences in wages narrowed at an unusually rapid pace. Using a decomposition technique different from that of previous studies, the author shows that wage compression between and within groups-the so-called "Great Compression"-was a major factor behind racial wage...

Prevailing wage laws, which require that construction workers employed by private contractors on public projects be paid wages and benefits at least equal to those 'prevailing' for similar work in or near the locality in which the project is located, have been the focus of an extensive policy...

Using a longitudinal survey of fast-food restaurants in Texas, the authors examine the impact of recent increases in the federal minimum wage on a low-wage labor market. Less than 5% of fast-food restaurants were using the new youth subminimum wage in July/August 1991, even though the vast...