The minimum wage increases in Seattle over the past severalyears have actually resulted in less hours worked for the poorestworkers, resulting in less overall pay, according toa study by University of Washington researcherspublished by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The Seattle Minimum Wage Ordinance raised the minimum wage from$9.47 to $11 per hour in 2015 and to $13 per hour in 2016. Whilethe first wage increase had modest effects, researchers say thesecond wage increase reduced hours worked in low-wage jobs byaround 9 percent, while hourly wages in such jobs increased byaround 3 percent.

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Katie Kuehner-Hebert

Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.