From small steps to stronger strides: examining the impact of minimum wage setting over the years

This policy brief examines the shifting landscape of European minimum wage policy, moving from the cautious adjustments of the 2000s towards the significantly bolder strategies seen in recent years, driven by the adoption of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. Drawing on Eurofound’s decades worth of monitoring and analysis of minimum wage-setting, the policy brief reviews the evolution of the policy debate and highlights the tangible impacts that wage floors have on negotiated pay, income inequality and employment distribution across the EU. It also provides key policy pointers to inform and support effective policymaking in this ever-evolving landscape.