IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/revpoe/v21y2009i4p567-588.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Unions on Labor's Share of Income: A Time-Series Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Rudy Fichtenbaum

Abstract

Early time-series studies that examined the impact of unions on labor's share of income were primarily descriptive. They generally found that unions did not impact labor's share of income. In contrast, later studies, using either panel data or cross-section data, have produced mixed results. This study adds to our understanding of this topic by first developing an analytical model based on imperfect competition and then testing the model using time-series data for the US manufacturing sector from 1949-2006. The results demonstrate that unions have a positive impact on labor's share of income. They show that for each one percentage point reduction in union density, the proportion of income received by production workers declines by about 0.2 percentage points, holding other factors constant. From 1949 to 2006, labor's share of income declined approximately 25 percentage points; around 28% of that decline is explained by the decline in unionization. This paper is distinctive in estimating the proportion of the decline in labor's share attributable to declining unionization. It also has important implications for the Employee Free Choice Act and sheds light on whether social or institutional forces can affect the distribution of income.

Suggested Citation

  • Rudy Fichtenbaum, 2009. "The Impact of Unions on Labor's Share of Income: A Time-Series Analysis," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 567-588.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:revpoe:v:21:y:2009:i:4:p:567-588
    DOI: 10.1080/09538250903214859
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09538250903214859
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/09538250903214859?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. DiNardo, John & Fortin, Nicole M & Lemieux, Thomas, 1996. "Labor Market Institutions and the Distribution of Wages, 1973-1992: A Semiparametric Approach," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(5), pages 1001-1044, September.
    2. Barry T. Hirsch, 2004. "Reconsidering Union Wage Effects: Surveying New Evidence on an Old Topic," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 25(2), pages 233-266, April.
    3. Henley, Andrew, 1987. "Trades unions, market concentration and income distribution in United States manufacturing industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 193-210.
    4. Conyon, Martin J., 1994. "Labour's share, market structure and trade unionism," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 117-131, March.
    5. Scott Carter, 2007. "Real wage productivity elasticity across advanced economies, 1963-1996," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(4), pages 573-600.
    6. repec:eee:labchp:v:2:y:1986:i:c:p:1139-1181 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. John Pencavel, 2005. "Unionism Viewed Internationally," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 26(1), pages 65-97, January.
    8. Barry T. Hirsch, 2008. "Sluggish Institutions in a Dynamic World: Can Unions and Industrial Competition Coexist?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 153-176, Winter.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ziyu Liu & Yanlin Yang, 2020. "Impact of Development Zone Construction on Labor Share in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, May.
    2. Pedro R. D. Bom & Aitor Goti, 2018. "Public Capital and the Labor Income Share," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Young, Andrew T. & Tackett, Maria Y., 2018. "Globalization and the decline in labor shares: Exploring the relationship beyond trade and financial flows," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 18-35.
    4. Michel Freyssenet & Bruno Jetin, 2019. "The deregulation of employment and finance: the Big Three in crisis," Working Papers halshs-02020051, HAL.
    5. repec:wvu:wpaper:11-06 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Andrew T. Young & Hernando Zuleta, 2018. "Do Unions Increase Labor Shares? Evidence from US Industry-Level Data," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 558-575, September.
    7. Dario JUDZIK & Hector SALA, 2013. "Productivity, deunionization and trade: Wage effects and labour share implications," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 152(2), pages 205-236, June.
    8. Giorgos Gouzoulis, 2021. "Finance, Discipline and the Labour Share in the Long‐Run: France (1911–2010) and Sweden (1891–2000)," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 568-594, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrew T. Young & Hernando Zuleta, 2016. "Golden Rules of Wages," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(1), pages 253-270, July.
    2. repec:wvu:wpaper:11-06 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. John T. Addison, 2016. "Collective bargaining systems and macroeconomic and microeconomic flexibility: the quest for appropriate institutional forms in advanced economies," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-53, December.
    4. Dögüs, Ilhan, 2017. "Rising wage dispersion between white-collar and blue-collar workers and market concentration: The case of the USA, 1966-2011," ZÖSS-Discussion Papers 62, University of Hamburg, Centre for Economic and Sociological Studies (CESS/ZÖSS).
    5. Andrew T. Young & Hernando Zuleta, 2018. "Do Unions Increase Labor Shares? Evidence from US Industry-Level Data," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 558-575, September.
    6. Bae-Geun Kim, 2016. "Explaining movements of the labor share in the Korean economy: factor substitution, markups and bargaining power," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 14(3), pages 327-352, September.
    7. Callaway, Brantly & Collins, William J., 2018. "Unions, workers, and wages at the peak of the American labor movement," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 95-118.
    8. Ramos, Raul & Sanromá, Esteban & Simón, Hipólito, 2018. "Wage Differentials by Bargaining Regime in Spain (2002-2014): An Analysis Using Matched Employer-Employee Data," IZA Discussion Papers 12013, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. John T. Addison, 2016. "Collective bargaining systems and macroeconomic and microeconomic flexibility: the quest for appropriate institutional forms in advanced economies," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-53, December.
    10. Baumgarten, Daniel & Lehwald, Sybille, 2019. "Trade Exposure and the Decline in Collective Bargaining: Evidence From Germany," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 165, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    11. Ensar Yilmaz & Sayin San, 2017. "Wage gap and dispersion in a partially unionized structure in Turkey," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 577-597, March.
    12. Kerr, Andrew & Wittenberg, Martin, 2021. "Union wage premia and wage inequality in South Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 255-271.
    13. Tito Boeri & Jan van Ours, 2013. "The Economics of Imperfect Labor Markets: Second Edition," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10142.
    14. R. Alison Felix & James R. Hines, 2022. "Corporate taxes and union wages in the United States," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1450-1494, December.
    15. Juin‐Jen Chang & Li‐Wen Hung & Shin‐Kun Peng, 2023. "(De)unionization, trade, unemployment, and wage differentials," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 90(1), pages 121-155, July.
    16. Carlo Medici, 2024. "Closing Ranks: Organized Labor and Immigration," CESifo Working Paper Series 11437, CESifo.
    17. Juan E. Jacobo, 2022. "Back to the Surplus: An Unorthodox Neoclassical Model of Growth, Distribution and Unemployment with Technical Change," Papers 2211.14978, arXiv.org.
    18. Addison, John T. & Kölling, Arnd & Teixeira, Paulino, 2014. "Changes in Bargaining Status and Intra-Plant Wage Dispersion in Germany: A Case of (Almost) Plus Ça Change?," IZA Discussion Papers 8359, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Bae-Geun Kim, 2016. "Explaining movements of the labor share in the Korean economy: factor substitution, markups and bargaining power," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 14(3), pages 327-352, September.
    20. Addison, John T. & Portugal, Pedro & de Almeida Vilares, Hugo, 2023. "Union membership density and wages: The role of worker, firm, and job-title heterogeneity," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 233(2), pages 612-632.
    21. Paula Armstrong & Janca Steenkamp, 2008. "South African Trade Unions: an Overview for 1995 to 2005," Working Papers 10/2008, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:revpoe:v:21:y:2009:i:4:p:567-588. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CRPE20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.