According to new research from economists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Brandeis University, wage gains for low-wage workers at other businesses are a direct result of Amazon's corporate decision to increase starting pay to $15 an hour three years ago, which appears to have lifted pay for low-wage workers in other local companies as well. "When you have major changes in the wage policies of large actors in the labor market, this has ripple effects," said co-author Ellora Derenoncourt.