Blanchflower, David G;
Bryson, Alex;
(2025)
Unions, Wages and Hours.
British Journal of Industrial Relations
10.1111/bjir.12871.
(In press).
Preview |
Text
Bryson_Brit J Industrial Rel - 2025 - Blanchflower - Unions Wages and Hours.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
We examine union-non-union differentials in wages and hours in the United States over the last 50 years using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The regression-adjusted difference between union members’ and non-members’ hourly earnings has been falling since the Great Recession. The union differential in weekly wages has been more stable. Although it fell by around 5 log points during COVID it remains 15 log points. This weekly earnings differential arises from both a higher hourly wage of around 10 log points and longer working hours (5 log points). The working hours differential partly reflects unions’ ability to tackle under-employment, such that union workers work closer to the hours they desire than their non-union counterparts. The traditional focus on hourly wage differentials underplays the important role trade unions play in maintaining members’ weekly earnings by ensuring workers receive the paid hours they desire.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Unions, Wages and Hours |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjir.12871 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12871 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 The Author(s). British Journal of Industrial Relations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. |
| Keywords: | union wage premium, hours, under-employment |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10202683 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
