The changing propensity and opportunity to become unionized as workers age

What is it about?

We track individuals from the point when they initially enter the labor force to identify the age at which they first become unionized and to analyze the relative probability of their unionization over the first half of their working lives. We call this a "life-cycle model of unionization" in which opportunity and propensity to hold union jobs changes over the life course as workers age.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Our results demonstrate that most workers first experience unionization at a much younger age than is commonly believed. This implies that the popular impression that unionization is the domain of middle-aged and older workers is overly-simplistic. Moreover, our results support a "life-cycle model of unionization" in which the combined effects of opportunity and propensity decrease as workers age which contradicts the impression that younger workers are infrequently unionized. Lastly, companies and unions should understand that many workers first experience unionization at a young age,which provides these organizations with the opportunity to shape individuals’ attitudes toward unions—attitudes that might persist even after they are no longer in unionized jobs.