IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iaa/dpaper/202602.html

Councils of Contentment: Works Councils and Income Perceptions

Author

Listed:
  • Laszlo Goerke

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

  • Sven A. Hartmann

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

  • Yue Huang

    (Institute for Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU), Trier University)

Abstract

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we provide a comprehensive investigation of the relationship between workplace co-determination in the form of works councils and income satisfaction. Controlling for a wide range of individual, job-related, and firm-level characteristics in OLS and fixed effects specifications, we observe that employees working in establishments with a works council report significantly higher income satisfaction compared to their counterparts in non-co- determined firms. The rank in the income distribution, the perceived fairness of the wage, and working conditions emerge as quantitatively relevant factors in explaining the positive correlation.

Suggested Citation

  • Laszlo Goerke & Sven A. Hartmann & Yue Huang, 2026. "Councils of Contentment: Works Councils and Income Perceptions," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202602, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    • Handle: RePEc:iaa:dpaper:202602
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.iaaeu.de/images/DiscussionPaper/2026_02.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2026
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew E. Clark, 2017. "Happiness, income and poverty," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(2), pages 145-158, June.
    2. D'Ambrosio, Conchita & Clark, Andrew E. & Barazzetta, Marta, 2018. "Unfairness at work: Well-being and quits," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 307-316.
    3. Ellguth, Peter & Kohaut, Susanne, 2021. "Tarifbindung und betriebliche Interessenvertretung: Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel 2020," WSI-Mitteilungen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 74(4), pages 306-314.
    4. Poggi, Ambra, 2010. "Job satisfaction, working conditions and aspirations," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 936-949, December.
    5. John Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn & Georgi Tsertsvardze, 2010. "Hiring older workers and employing older workers: German evidence," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(2), pages 595-615, March.
    6. Goerke, Laszlo & Huang, Yue, 2022. "Job satisfaction and trade union membership in Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    7. Peter Valet, 2023. "Perceptions of Pay Satisfaction and Pay Justice: Two Sides of the Same Coin?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 157-173, February.
    8. Grund, Christian & Sliwka, Dirk & Titz, Krystina, 2024. "Works councils as gatekeepers: Codetermination, management practices, and job satisfaction," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    9. Goerke, Laszlo & Pannenberg, Markus, 2015. "Direct evidence for income comparisons and subjective well-being across reference groups," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 95-101.
    10. Uwe Jirjahn, 2008. "On the Determinants of Shift Work and Overtime Work: Evidence from German Establishment Data," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(1), pages 133-168, March.
    11. Christian Grund & Andreas Schmitt, 2013. "Works councils, wages and job satisfaction," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(3), pages 299-310, January.
    12. Christian Pfeifer, 2014. "Determinants of fair own wage perceptions: the moderating effect of works councils and performance evaluations," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 47-50, January.
    13. Senik, Claudia, 2004. "When information dominates comparison: Learning from Russian subjective panel data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(9-10), pages 2099-2123, August.
    14. Anja Heinze & Elke Wolf, 2010. "The intra-firm gender wage gap: a new view on wage differentials based on linked employer–employee data," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(3), pages 851-879, June.
    15. Fackler, Daniel & Schnabel, Claus & Stegmaier, Jens, 2024. "Personnel adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic: did co-determination make a difference?," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 58, pages 1-004.
    16. Rafael Gralla & Kornelius Kraft & Stanislav Volgushev, 2017. "The effects of works councils on overtime hours," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 64(2), pages 143-168, May.
    17. repec:iab:iabjlr:v:58:p:art.04 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Lutz Bellmann & Olaf Hübler & Ute Leber, 2019. "Works council and training effects on satisfaction," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(14), pages 1177-1181, August.
    19. Uwe JIRJAHN & Stephen C. SMITH, 2018. "Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory And The German Experience With Mandated Works Councils," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 201-233, March.
    20. Uwe Jirjahn & Vanessa Lange, 2015. "Reciprocity and Workers’ Tastes for Representation," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 188-209, June.
    21. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira, 2025. "Job satisfaction and workplace representation in Europe," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 93(2), pages 123-148, March.
    22. Christian Pfeifer, 2011. "Works councils, union bargaining and quits in German firms," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 32(2), pages 243-260, May.
    23. Jens Mohrenweiser & Christian Pfeifer, 2023. "Wage Structures, Fairness Perceptions, and Job Satisfaction: Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(7), pages 2291-2308, October.
    24. Rafael Gralla & Kornelius Kraft, 2018. "Separating Introduction Effects from Selectivity Effects:Â The Differences in Employment Patterns of Codetermined Firms," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 32(1), pages 93-111, March.
    25. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:201-233 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2022. "Works Councils," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1103, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Laszlo Goerke & Sabrina Jeworrek, 2021. "Paid vacation use: The role of works councils," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 42(3), pages 473-503, August.
    3. Uwe Jirjahn, 2015. "Research on Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Contribution of Labor Economics," Research Papers in Economics 2015-10, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    4. Mohrenweiser, Jens & Pfeifer, Christian, 2024. "Organisational justice, employee representation, and firm performance," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1499, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Uwe Jirjahn, 2013. "Der Beitrag der Arbeitsmarktökonomik zur Erforschung von Gewerkschaften und Tarifvertragsbeziehungen in Deutschland," Research Papers in Economics 2013-03, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    6. Grund, Christian & Sliwka, Dirk & Titz, Krystina, 2024. "Works councils as gatekeepers: Codetermination, management practices, and job satisfaction," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    7. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2016. "Owner-Managers and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 815-845, December.
    8. Uwe JIRJAHN & Stephen C. SMITH, 2018. "Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory And The German Experience With Mandated Works Councils," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 201-233, March.
    9. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2021. "Works councils and organizational gender policies in Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(4), pages 1020-1048, December.
    10. Uwe Jirjahn & Thi Xuan Thu Le, 2024. "Political spillovers of workplace democracy in Germany," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 5-31, March.
    11. Artz, Benjamin & Heywood, John S., 2020. "Unions, Worker Participation and Worker Well-Being," GLO Discussion Paper Series 705, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    12. Steffen Müller & Jens Stegmaier, 2020. "Why is there resistance to works councils in Germany? An economic perspective," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 41(3), pages 540-561, August.
    13. Daniel Arnold & Tobias Brändle & Laszlo Goerke, 2018. "Sickness Absence and Works Councils: Evidence from German Individual and Linked Employer–Employee Data," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(2), pages 260-295, April.
    14. Fackler, Daniel & Schnabel, Claus & Stegmaier, Jens, 2024. "Personnel adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic: did co-determination make a difference?," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 58, pages 1-004.
    15. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:201-233 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Michiel Slag & Martijn J. Burger & Ruut Veenhoven, 2019. "Did the Easterlin Paradox apply in South Korea between 1980 and 2015? A case study," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 66(4), pages 325-351, December.
    17. Dufhues, Thomas & Möllers, Judith & Jantsch, Antje & Buchenrieder, Gertrud & Camfield, Laura, 2023. "Don’t look up! Individual income comparisons and subjective well-being of students in Thailand," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 24(2), pages 477-503.
    18. Olaf Hübler, 2015. "Do works councils raise or lower firm productivity?," World of Labour, LISER, pages 137-137, March.
    19. Jirjahn, Uwe & Le, Thi Xuan Thu, 2023. "Works Councils and Workers' Party Preferences in Germany," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1228, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    20. Uwe Jirjahn, 2022. "On the determinants of bargaining‐free membership in German Employers' Associations," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 545-558, November.
    21. Kaiser, Caspar, 2018. "People do not adapt to income changes: A re-evaluation of the dynamic effects of (reference) income on life satisfaction with GSOEP and UKHLS data," INET Oxford Working Papers 2018-07, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iaa:dpaper:202602. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Adrian Chadi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaaegde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.