Declines in unemployment rates reduce the crime rate, which seems to be highly responsive to employment opportunities for low-skilled men.45 Wage rises significantly lower the crime rate. Higher wages for low-skilled workers reduce both property and violent crime, as well as crime among adolescents.46 The impact of wages on crime is substantial; one study estimates that a 10 percent increase in wages for non-college-educated men results in approximately a 10 to 20 percent reduction in crime rates.
