Stagnation and minimum wage: Optimal minimum wage policy in macroeconomics

This paper argues how an increase in minimum wage affects employment, consumption, and social welfare with dynamic general equilibrium model without market frictions. The study demonstrates that a minimum wage hike reduces an actual unemployment rate and has positive effects on an employment rate under the demand-shortage economy whereas they do not under a non-demand shortage economy. The study also shows that optimal minimum wage which maximize social welfare and minimize an actual unemployment rate when the economy faces the demand-shortage initially. These findings imply that the minimum wage can be considered as one of the effective policy for overcoming deflation and stagnation although it increases the natural rate of unemployment.