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The Aging of the unions in West Germany, 1980-2006

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Author Info
Claus Schnabel () (Chair of Labour and Regional Economics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg)
Joachim Wagner () (Institute of Economics, Leuphana University of Lüneburg)

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Abstract

Using data from the social survey ALLBUS for West Germany in the period 1980 to 2006, this paper demonstrates that union members are on average older than non-unionized employees. The probability of being unionized shows the inverted U-shaped pattern in age conjectured by Blanchflower (BJIR 2007) only in very few years. It is demonstrated that both intra-cohort change and cohort replacement effects have played a roughly equal role in the substantial fall in union density since 1980. If older cohorts with high densities continue to be replaced by young cohorts with low densities, average union density will fall further.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics in its series Working Paper Series in Economics with number 93.

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Length: 31 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:lue:wpaper:93

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Web page: http://www.uni-lueneburg.de/vwl/

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Related research
Keywords: union membership; union density; cohort effects; West Germany;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. John T. Addison & Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2006. "The (Parlous) State of German Unions," IZA Discussion Papers 2000, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Martin Beck & Bernd Fitzenberger, 2004. "Changes in Union Membership Over Time: A Panel Analysis for West Germany," LABOUR, CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd, vol. 18(3), pages 329-362, 09. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. David G. Blanchflower, 2007. "International Patterns of Union Membership," British Journal of Industrial Relations, Blackwell Publishers Ltd/London School of Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 1-28, 03. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2006. "The Persistent Decline in Unionization in Western and Eastern Germany, 1980-2004: What Can We Learn from a Decomposition Analysis?," IZA Discussion Papers 2388, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Laszlo Goerke & Markus Pannenberg, 2007. "Trade Union Membership and Works Councils in West Germany," Industrielle Beziehungen - Zeitschrift fuer Arbeit, Organisation und Management - The German Journal of Industrial Relations, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 14(2), pages 154 - 175. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Kohn, Karsten & Wang, Qingwei, 2006. "The Erosion of Union Membership in Germany: Determinants, Densities, Decompositions," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-66, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Petri Böckerman & Roope Uusitalo, 2006. "Erosion of the Ghent System and Union Membership Decline: Lessons from Finland," British Journal of Industrial Relations, Blackwell Publishers Ltd/London School of Economics, vol. 44(2), pages 283-303, 06. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Determinants of Trade Union Membership in Western Germany: Evidence from Micro Data, 1980-2000," IZA Discussion Papers 708, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Trade Union Membership in Eastern and Western Germany: Convergence or Divergence?," IZA Discussion Papers 707, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  10. Laszlo Goerke & Markus Pannenberg, 2004. "Norm-Based Trade Union Membership: Evidence for Germany," German Economic Review, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 5(4), pages 481-504, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Booth, Alison L, 1985. "The Free Rider Problem and a Social Custom Model of Trade Union Membership," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 100(1), pages 253-61, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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