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Trade Union Membership and Life Satisfaction

Author

Listed:
  • Björn Becker

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

  • Laszlo Goerke

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

  • Yue Huang

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

Abstract

The effects of trade union membership on wages and job satisfaction have been studied extensively. Arguably, life satisfaction serves as a more comprehensive measure of the benefits of union membership and warrants closer examination. Using all relevant waves from the German Socio-Economic Panel between 1985 and 2019, we find a negative correlation between trade union membership and life satisfaction in OLS and FE specifications. The association may arise because union members are more concerned about their job and the economic situation and less satisfied with their work. Social capital and wages also perform as channels between membership and life satisfaction. The negative correlation is more pronounced in settings in which trade unions are relatively weak.

Suggested Citation

  • Björn Becker & Laszlo Goerke & Yue Huang, 2024. "Trade Union Membership and Life Satisfaction," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202408, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    • Handle: RePEc:iaa:dpaper:202408
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    german socio-economic panel; industrial relations in germany; life satisfaction; trade union membership;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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