The Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB) has just published the first of the four Reports it produces every year. The IEB Report 1/2025 was coordinated by Javier Vázquez Grenno, professor of economics at the University of Barcelona (UB), and addresses the issue of the minimum wage.

Currently, minimum wages are among the most widely implemented labour market interventions around the world, aimed at establishing a wage that protects low earners and mitigates income inequality. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 90% of its 187 member states have adopted minimum wage policies. Specifically, in 2023, 70% of wage earners worldwide resided in countries where the real minimum wage had increased ILO, 2024).

The IEB Report 1/2025, entitled “Re-evaluating the Role of the Minimum Wage,” comprises three articles that provide complementary insights into the impact, scope, implementation, and institutional dynamics of minimum wage policies. Professor Attila Lindner of University College London sheds light on the latest empirical findings on the effects of minimum wage policies; Christine Aumayr-Pintar and Carlos Vacas Soriano, both of Eurofound, explore the policies applied in different European countries; finally, Ferran Elías (University of Girona) and Marc Riudavets (University of Helsinki) analyse the interaction between statutory minimum wages and collective bargaining systems.