The Determinants of Unionization: An Analysis of Interarea Differences

Abstract

This study examines the reasons for differences among metropolitan areas in collective bargaining coverage and in union membership. The author employs an economic framework in which equilibrium levels of unionization are viewed as determined by demand and supply forces. The author finds that both measures of unionization are significantly related to earnings level, occupation, and industry structure; sex and racial composition of the labor force, region, and population growth have a smaller effect; and right-to-work laws have little, if any, effect on collective bargaining coverage but may significantly decrease union membership. (Author's abstract.)