Researchers have found that when the minimum wage in a state increased, or when states boosted a tax credit for working families, the suicide rate decreased. To control for national trends, they compared the changes with states that hadn’t changed their minimum wage or EITC. The researchers looked at suicides and drug overdoses. The team found little change in drug overdoses, whether intentional or accidental, after the new policies took effect. Raising the minimum wage by 10 percent reduced suicides by 3.6 percent.

Source: Washington Post April 30, 2019 14:23 UTC