Changes in union membership over time : a panel analysis for West Germany

  • Despite the apparent stability of the wage bargaining institutions in West Germany, aggregate union membership has been declining dramatically since the early 90's. However, aggregate gross membership numbers do not distinguish by employment status and it is impossible to disaggregate these sufficiently. This paper uses four waves of the German Socioeconomic Panel in 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1998 to perform a panel analysis of net union membership among employees. We estimate a correlated random effects probit model suggested in Chamberlain (1984) to take proper account of individual specfic effects. Our results suggest that at the individual level the propensity to be a union member has not changed considerably over time. Thus, the aggregate decline in membership is due to composition effects. We also use the estimates to predict net union density at the industry level based on the IAB employment subsample for the time period 1985 to 1997. JEL - Klassifikation: J5

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Metadaten
Author:Martin BeckGND, Bernd FitzenbergerORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-6244
Parent Title (German):Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung: Discussion paper ; No. [20]03,42 : Labour economics, human resources and social policy
Publisher:Zentrum für Europ. Wirtschaftsforschung
Document Type:Working Paper
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2005/04/11
Year of first Publication:2003
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2005/04/11
Tag:correlated random effects probit model; gross and net union density; union membership
GND Keyword:Gewerkschaftlicher Organisationsgrad / Gewerkschaft / Mitgliedschaft / Berufsstruktur / Sektorale Beschäftigungsstruktur / Schätzung / Deutschland
Volume:Mannheim
Page Number:35
Source:ZEW Discussion Paper ; 03-42
HeBIS-PPN:128743492
Institutes:Wirtschaftswissenschaften / Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 33 Wirtschaft / 330 Wirtschaft
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht