International Patterns of Union Membership

This paper examines changes in unionization that have occurred over the last decade or so using individual level micro data on many countries, with particular emphasis on the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. I document an empirical regularity not hitherto identified, namely the probability of being unionized follows an inverted U-shaped pattern in age, maximizing in the mid- to late 40s in 34 of the 38 countries I study. I consider the question of why union membership seems to follow a similar inverted U-shape pattern in age across countries with such diverse industrial relations systems. I find evidence that this arises in part because of cohort effects, but even when cohort effects are removed a U-shape remains.

[1]  Jelle Visser,et al.  Union Membership Statistics in 24 Countries , 2006 .

[2]  B. McCarl,et al.  Economics , 1870, The Indian medical gazette.

[3]  F. Green.  TRADE UNION AVAILABILITY AND TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP IN BRITAIN , 1990 .

[4]  A. Bryson.  Union Free-riding in Britain and New Zealand , 2006 .

[5]  J. T. Addison,et al.  International Handbook of Trade Unions , 2003 .

[6]  S. Machin,et al.  Cross-Generation Correlations of Union Status for Young People in Britain , 2003 .

[7]  D. Gallie,et al.  Trade Unionism in Recession. , 1996 .

[8]  Robert B. McKersie,et al.  Industrial Relations in Britain. , 1985 .

[9]  G. Bain,et al.  Trade Union Membership in Great Britain: An Individual-level Analysis* , 1985 .

[10]  R. Freeman,et al.  Worker Needs and Voice in the Us and the UK , 2006 .

[11]  Lawrence F. Katz,et al.  Differences and Changes in Wage Structures , 1995 .

[12]  John H. Pencavel.  Unionism viewed internationally , 2005 .

[13]  J. Payne.  Trade Union Membership and Activism Among Young People in Great Britain , 1989 .

[14]  R. Freeman,et al.  Did the Thatcher Reforms Change British Labour Market Performance , 1993 .

[15]  R. Barrell.  The UK Labour Market , 1994 .

[16]  Gary W. Loveman,et al.  A Comparison of Changes in the Structure of Wages , 1993 .

[17]  M. Kleiner.  Intensity of management resistance: understanding the decline of unionization in the private sector , 2001 .

[18]  S. Machin.  Factors of Convergence and Divergence in Union Membership , 2004 .

[19]  A. Bryson,et al.  What effect do unions have on wages now and would freeman and medoff be surprised? , 2004 .

[20]  J. Visser.  Union Membership Statistics in 24 Countries: An Analysis of "Adjusted" Union Membership Data in 24 Countries Yields Past and Present Union Density Rates; the Data Provide Explanatory Factors for the Differences and Trends in Unionization , 2006 .

[21]  Richard P. Green,et al.  Seeking a Premier-League Economy , 2004 .

[22]  M. Kleiner,et al.  Labor Market Institutions and the Future Role of Unions , 1992 .

[23]  A. Booth.  Estimating the Probability of Trade Union Membership: A Study of Men and Women in Britain , 1986 .

[24]  C. Cregan.  Young people and trade union membership: a longitudinal analysis , 1991 .

[25]  Francine D. Blau,et al.  Labor market institutions and demographic employment patterns , 2002 .

[26]  A. Davies.  Trade union membership , 2004 .

[27]  Nicola Riley.  Determinants of Union Membership: A Review , 1997 .

[28]  J. Visser.  Unions and Unionism Around the World , 2003 .

[29]  Alan A. Carruth,et al.  Where Have Two Million Trade Union Members Gone , 1988 .

[30]  D. Ashton,et al.  A Note on the Trade Union Membership Patterns of Young Adults , 1987 .

[31]  E. Lazear.  Why Is There Mandatory Retirement? , 1979, Journal of Political Economy.

[32]  M. Stewart.  Collective Bargaining Arrangements, Closed Shops and Relative Pay , 1987 .

[33]  J. Wagner,et al.  Determinants of Union Membership in 18 EU Countries: Evidence from Micro Data, 2002/03 , 2005, SSRN Electronic Journal.

[34]  A. Bryson,et al.  Changes Over Time in Union Relative Wage Effects in the UK and the Us Revisited , 2002 .

[35]  W. C. Riddell,et al.  Changing Patterns of Unionisation: The North American Experience, 1984–1998 , 2004 .

[36]  H. Granger,et al.  Trade Union Membership , 2005 .

[37]  M. Chandler,et al.  Sex Differences in Union Membership , 1980 .

[38]  C. Schnabel.  Determinants of Trade Union Membership , 2002 .

[39]  F. Green.  Recent Trends in British Trade Union Density: How Much of a Compositional Effect? , 1992 .

[40]  R. Richardson,et al.  TRADE UNION DENSITY AND COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT PATTERNS IN BRITAIN , 1979 .

[41]  Keith A. Bender.  The changing determinants of U.S. Unionism: An analysis using worker-level data , 1997 .

[42]  G. Bain,et al.  UNION GROWTH IN BRITAIN: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT , 1983 .

[43]  Mark C. Berger,et al.  Union Membership Determination and Industry Characteristics , 1984 .