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Unemployment and the Demand for Unions

Author

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  • David G. Blanchflower
  • Robert Crouchley
  • Saul Estrin
  • Andrew Oswald

Abstract

Why do people join open-shop unions when they would receive union wage rates even if they were not members? Why are unionization rates so low in the south-east of England? To address these questions, which we treat as interrelated, the paper considers the idea that unions offer insurance against victimization and arbitrary dismissal. Consistent with our theoretical approach, we find that union density is greatest, ceteris paribus, within establishments in areas of high unemployment.

Suggested Citation

  • David G. Blanchflower & Robert Crouchley & Saul Estrin & Andrew Oswald, 1990. "Unemployment and the Demand for Unions," NBER Working Papers 3251, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3251
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Rees, Albert, 1989. "The Economics of Trade Unions," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226707105, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. N Millward, 1993. "Uses of the Workplace Industrial Relations Surveys by British Labour Economists," CEP Discussion Papers dp0145, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Uwe Jirjahn, 2021. "Foreign ownership and intra-firm union density in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 42(4), pages 1052-1079, November.
    3. Fenet Jima Bedaso & Uwe Jirjahn, 2024. "Immigrants and trade union membership: Does integration into society and workplace play a moderating role?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(2), pages 262-292, June.
    4. Finseraas, Henning & Roed, Marianne & Schone, Pal, 2018. "Labour Immigration and Union Strength," IZA Discussion Papers 11723, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Millward, N., 1993. "Uses of the workplace industrial relations surveys by British labour economists," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 20964, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Daniele Checchi, 2000. "Time series evidence on union densities in European countries," Departmental Working Papers 2000-10, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    7. Richard Murphy, 2017. "Call my Rep! How Unions Overcame the Free-Rider Problem," CESifo Working Paper Series 6362, CESifo.
    8. Daniele Checchi & Claudio Lucifora, 2002. "Unions and labour market institutions in Europe [‘Deunionisation, technical change and inequality’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 17(35), pages 361-408.
    9. Henning Finseraas & Marianne Røed & Pål Schøne, 2020. "Labour immigration and union strength," European Union Politics, , vol. 21(1), pages 3-23, March.
    10. Martyn Andrews & Robin Naylor, 1994. "Declining Union Density in the 1980s: What Do Panel Data Tell Us?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 32(3), pages 413-432, September.
    11. Robert Armstrong & Michael Floren & Jason Imbrogno & Keith Malone, 2024. "Impacts of racial diversity and firm size on union voting behavior in Alabama," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 20-32, January.

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