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Returns to Seniority in Union and Nonunion Jobs: A New Look at the Evidence

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Author Info
Katharine G. Abraham
Henry S. Farber

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Abstract

One of the most prominent features of U.S. unionism is the key role played by seniority. However, in cross-sectional data, the positive association between seniority and earnings is typically much stronger for nonunion workers than for union workers. This finding has puzzled previous researchers, since it seems inconsistent with the generalization that seniority is more important in the union sector than in the nonunion sector. We show that standard estimates of the return to seniority are likely to be biased upward and argue that the bias is likely to be larger in the nonunion sector than in the union sector. Corrected estimates imply that the return to seniority is, in fact, larger in the union sector than in the nonunion sector.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 2368.

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Date of creation: Apr 1989
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Publication status: published as Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 3-19, (October 1988).
Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:2368

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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. Heckman, James & Singer, Burton, 1984. "A Method for Minimizing the Impact of Distributional Assumptions in Econometric Models for Duration Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(2), pages 271-320, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Katharine G. Abraham & James L. Medoff, 1985. "Length of service and promotions in union and nonunion work groups," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 38(3), pages 408-420, April.
  3. Thomas Hyclak, 1979. "The effect of unions on earnings inequality in local labor markets," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 33(1), pages 77-84, October.
  4. Richard B. Freeman, 1982. "Union wage practices and wage dispersion within establishments," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 36(1), pages 3-21, October.
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  5. Richard B. Freeman, 1980. "Unionism and the dispersion of wages," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 34(1), pages 3-23, October.
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  6. Hall, Robert E, 1982. "The Importance of Lifetime Jobs in the U.S. Economy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(4), pages 716-24, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Blair, Douglas H & Crawford, David L, 1984. "Labor Union Objectives and Collective Bargaining," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 99(3), pages 547-66, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Farrell Bloch & Mark S. Kuskin, 1978. "Wage determination in the union and nonunion sectors," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 31(2), pages 183-192, January.
  9. Altonji, Joseph G & Shakotko, Robert A, 1987. "Do Wages Rise with Job Seniority?," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 54(3), pages 437-59, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Lancaster, Tony, 1979. "Econometric Methods for the Duration of Unemployment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(4), pages 939-56, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Barry T. Hirsch, 1982. "The interindustry structure of unionism, earnings, and earnings dispersion," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 36(1), pages 22-39, October.
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  1. Peter Kuhn & Jacques Robert, 1988. "Seniority and Distribution in a Two-Worker Trade Union," Working Papers 615, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section.. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Givord, Pauline & Maurin, Eric, 2003. "Job Tenure, Wages and Technology: A Reassessment Using Matched Worker-Firm Panel Data," CEPR Discussion Papers 4147, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Lorenz, Wilhelm & Wagner, Joachim, 1989. "Tätigkeit im erlernten Beruf, Betriebszugehörigkeitsdauer und Arbeitseinkommen : eine ökonometrische Untersuchung mit Individualdaten für das Bundesland Bremen und ein metallverarbeitendes Unterne," Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 22(4), pages 568-575. [Downloadable!]
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