%0 Journal Article
%T The Effect of Prevailing Wage Repeals on Construction Income and Benefits
%A Ari Fenn
%A Chimedlkham Zorigtbaatar
%A Gabriel Pleites
%A Peter Philips
%A Zhi Li
%J Public Works Management & Policy
%@ 1552-7549
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1087724X18758340
%X While considerable research has examined the effects of prevailing wage law repeals on construction wages, little has been done on the repeals effect on benefits. Based on state-level data from the quinquennial Economic Census for construction from 1972 to 2012, we find that depending on sample and model specification, statewide annual average construction blue-collar income fell by 1.9% to 4.2%. Statewide annual average legally required benefits (social security, workers injury-compensation insurance, and unemployment insurance contributions) for blue- and white-collar construction employees combined fell from 3.8% to 10.1%. Statewide annual average voluntary benefits (primarily health insurance, pension contributions, and apprenticeship training) for blue- and white-collar construction employees combined fell from 11.2% to 16.0%. Because prevailing wage laws govern only blue-collar construction remuneration, blue-collar benefits probably fell more than blue- and white-collar benefits taken together
%K prevailing wage
%K repeal
%K benefits
%K construction
%K public works policy
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1087724X18758340