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Hiring Discrimination against Pro-Union Applicants: The Role of Union Density and Firm Size

Author

Listed:
  • Baert, Stijn

    (Ghent University)

  • Omey, Eddy

    (Ghent University)

Abstract

We study the causal impact of revealing pro-unionism during the recruitment stage on hiring chances. To this end, we conduct a randomised field experiment in the Belgian labour market. When matched with employer and sector data, the experimentally gathered data enable us to test the heterogeneity of discrimination against pro-union applicants by the union density in the sector and the size of the firm. We find that disclosure of pro-unionism affects hiring chances in a negative way and that – in line with our expectations based on the literature – this negative impact is stronger in highly unionised sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Baert, Stijn & Omey, Eddy, 2014. "Hiring Discrimination against Pro-Union Applicants: The Role of Union Density and Firm Size," IZA Discussion Papers 8516, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8516
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stijn Baert, 2014. "Career lesbians. Getting hired for not having kids?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(6), pages 543-561, November.
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    7. Pierre Brochu & Louis-Philippe Morin, 2012. "Union Membership and Perceived Job Insecurity: Thirty Years of Evidence from the American General Social Survey," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 65(2), pages 263-285, April.
    8. Fernando Rios-Avila & Barry T. Hirsch, 2014. "Unions, Wage Gaps, and Wage Dispersion: New Evidence from the Americas," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 1-27, January.
    9. Alex Bryson & John Forth & Patrice Laroche, 2011. "Evolution or revolution? The impact of unions on workplace performance in Britain and France," Post-Print hal-02138163, HAL.
    10. Bram Wauters & Manu Mus & Steven Lannoo & Carl Devos, 2014. "Perfect match or missing link? An analysis of the representativeness of trade union representatives in Belgium," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(5), pages 424-442, September.
    11. Dr Alex Bryson & John Forth, 2009. "Unions and Workplace Performance in Britain and France," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 327, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    12. Drydakis, Nick, 2009. "Sexual orientation discrimination in the labour market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 364-372, August.
    13. Guy Vernon & Mark Rogers, 2013. "Where Do Unions Add Value? Predominant Organizing Principle, Union Strength and Manufacturing Productivity Growth in the OECD," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(1), pages 1-27, March.
    14. Drydakis, Nick, 2009. "Sexual orientation discrimination in the labour market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 364-372, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stijn Baert & Dieter Verhaest, 2019. "Unemployment or Overeducation: Which is a Worse Signal to Employers?," De Economist, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej & Sakshi Malik & Olatunji A. Shobande & Sanjeet Singh & Vishal Dagar, 2024. "A Contribution to Sustainable Human Resource Development in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(2), pages 337-355, May.
    3. Ali M. Ahmed & Elisabeth Lång, 2017. "The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Baert, Stijn, 2017. "Hiring Discrimination: An Overview of (Almost) All Correspondence Experiments Since 2005," GLO Discussion Paper Series 61, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2016. "Owner-Managers and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 815-845, December.
    6. Gaddis, S. Michael, 2018. "An Introduction to Audit Studies in the Social Sciences," SocArXiv e5hfc, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    randomised field experiments; trade unions; union density; hiring discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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