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Labor Unions and American Poverty

Author

Listed:
  • Tom VanHeuvelen
  • David Brady

Abstract

American poverty research largely neglects labor unions. The authors use individual-level panel data, incorporate both household union membership and state-level union density, and analyze both working poverty and working-aged poverty (among households led by 18- to 64-year-olds). They estimate three-way fixed effects (person, year, and state) and fixed-effects individual slopes models on the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), 1976–2015. They exploit the higher quality income data in the Cross-National Equivalent File—an extension of the PSID—to measure relative (

Suggested Citation

  • Tom VanHeuvelen & David Brady, 2022. "Labor Unions and American Poverty," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 75(4), pages 891-917, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:75:y:2022:i:4:p:891-917
    DOI: 10.1177/00197939211014855
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brady, David, 2023. "Poverty, not the poor," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 9(34), pages 1-17.
    2. Mark Harcourt & Gregor Gall & Margaret Wilson, 2023. "The effects of public goods framing for a union default policy," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(4), pages 1197-1221, November.
    3. Mark Harcourt & Gregor Gall & Margaret Wilson, 2024. "Employee beliefs about the consequences of a union default: Implications for support and intention to remain in union membership," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 45(4), pages 1272-1293, November.
    4. David Brady & Alexis Bocanegra & Diana Cervantes & Lauren Macy & Nasdira Romero Saravia, 2025. "The Heterogeneities of Immigrant Poverty in the U.S," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 44(4), pages 1-31, August.
    5. VanHeuvelen, Tom & Han, Xiaowen & VanHeuvelen, Jane, 2025. "The mortality implications of a unionized career," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 365(C).

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