Economic impacts of unionization on private sector employers
Subtitle: 1984-2001
By: John DiNardo, David S. Lee.
Contributors: Lee, David Sang-Yoon, 1972-; National Bureau of Economic Research.
Series: NBER working paper series ;; working paper 10598; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) ;; working paper no. 10598.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Subjects: Labor unions -- Organizing -- Economic aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century.; Regression analysis.
Description: "Economic impacts of unionization on employers are difficult to estimate in the absence of large, representative data on establishments with union status information.  Estimates are also confounded by selection bias, because unions could organize at highly profitable enterprises that are more likely to grow and pay higher wages.  Using multiple establishment-level data sets that represent establishments that faced organizing drives in the U.S.  during 1984-1999, this paper uses a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of unionization on business survival, employment, output, productivity, and wages.  Essentially, outcomes for employers where unions barely won the election (e.g.  by one vote) are compared to those where the unions barely lost.  The analysis finds small impacts on all outcomes that we examine; estimates for wages are close to zero.  The evidence suggests that at least in recent decades the legal mandate that requires the employer to bargain with a certified union has had little economic impact on employers, because unions have been somewhat unsuccessful at securing significant wage gains"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
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