The Cumulative Advantage of a Unionized Career for Lifetime Earnings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3481887 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Z Parolin (0000-0003-4065-3711, corresponding author), T Vanheuvelen (0000-0002-7504-8186, Zachary Parolin is an Assistant Professor of Social Policy at Bocconi University. Tom VanHeuvelen is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 434-460 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Industrial and Labor Relations Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0019-7939 • E-ISSN: 2162-271X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00197939221129261 |
| OpenAlex | W4303833162 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 14 |
| References cited | 54 |
Studies on labor union earnings premiums generally investigate their size through point-in-time estimates. This study posits, by contrast, that point-in-time estimates of the union premium overlook the cumulative earnings advantages of long-term, persistent union membership. Using a sample of men from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1969 to 2019, the authors investigate how lifetime union membership contributes to earnings advantages. They find, first, that unionization throughout one's career is associated with a $1.3 million mean increase in lifetime earnings, larger than the average gains from completing college. Second, the lifetime earnings gains are channeled entirely through higher hourly wages and occur despite earlier-than-average retirement for persistently unionized men. Third, the union wage premium is not constant throughout a worker's career; instead it increases with more years of union membership. The cumulative advantages of union membership for workers' economic well-being are far greater than point-in-time estimates suggest
Demographic economics · Earnings · Economics · Labour economics · Panel Study of Income Dynamics · Point (geometry) · Sample (material) · Wage · Employment and Welfare Studies · Finance · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Labor Movements and Unions
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Field of Study in College and Lifetime Earnings in the United States
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| Unique citing works | 14 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |