Local Union Strength’s Effects on Individual Employment Outcomes

This cross-sectional analysis of employment in the 50 U.S. States during the years 2003-2012 provides evidence that increased local union strength does significantly diminish an individual’s hours worked. The multivariate OLS regression estimation reveals that the negative effect of union strength is dwarfed by the effects of proxies for worker quality such as one’s age, sex, and education level. However, union strength effects are found to be stronger than local economic trends. This research indicates that individual factors are the most important determinant of one’s employment outcomes as they are most indicative of productivity