MOVING UP - THE TRAINING AND WAGE GAINS OF MINIMUM-WAGE ENTRANTS

Training and wage advancement of minimum-wage workers are central issu es in debates over ''good versus bad jobs.'' This paper addresses thes e issues by tracking the employment experiences of youth who entered t he labor market in 1980 at the minimum wage (or less). The evidence su ggests that youth who start out at minimum wages do receive less initi al training. They are not ''trapped'' in a low-wage orbit, however; th eir post-entry wage gains are substantial, both in the absolute and re lative to non-minimum-wage entrants.