Estimating the relationship between labour market tightness,unemployment insurance benefits and union election activity |
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Authors: | Robert Baumann Bryan Engelhardt David L. Fuller |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Economics, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA;2. Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA |
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Abstract: | Using detailed data from the US National Labor Relations Board, we find labour market tightness, defined as the ratio of job vacancies to the number of unemployed, has a positive relationship with the likelihood of voting in favour of union representation. Specifically, a 1 SD increase in labour market tightness increases Vote Share in favour and the likelihood of union certification by roughly 1.5% and 3%, respectively. We also find that length of unemployment insurance benefits has a positive relationship with Vote Share in favour. Taken together, these results suggest that workers are more comfortable engaging in pro-union election behaviours when exogenous conditions, like labour market tightness and unemployment insurance benefit duration, shift in a way that more favourably insulates them from unemployment and income risk. |
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Keywords: | Job openings unemployment labour market tightness job search unemployment insurance benefits union elections unionization strategies |
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