This paper describes the construction of time-consistent national and state-level estimates of union density for the years 1964 through 2000. Two sources of data are combined to produce these estimates, the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of U.S. households, and the...

This paper describes the construction of time-consistent national and state-level estimates of union density for the years 1964 through 2000. Two sources of data are combined to produce these estimates, the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of U.S. households, and the...

This paper examines the relationship between private sector union density and the wage premium, identifying where we have been and where we may go. The starting point is that labor unions are in decline and now represent a small proportion of the private sector workforce. This trend poses a...

This study estimates earnings function parameters across alternative occupational paths, with an emphasis on identifying rates of return to school and post-school human capital investment. Based on cross-sectional and synthetic cohort analysis using the 1973-2000 Current Population Surveys,...

This paper examines the relationship between private sector union density and the wage premium, identifying where we have been and where we may go. The starting point is that labor unions are in decline and now represent a small proportion of the private sector workforce. This trend poses a...

This study estimates earnings function parameters across alternative occupational paths, with an emphasis on identifying rates of return to school and post-school human capital investment. Based on cross-sectional and synthetic cohort analysis using the 1973-2000 Current Population Surveys,...

In this Article, we ask whether the National Labor Relations Act, enacted over 70 years ago, can remain relevant in a competitive economy where nonunion employer discretion is the dominant form of workplace governance. The best opportunity for the NLRA's continued relevance is the modification...

The market for hospital registered nurses (RNs) is often offered as an example of "classic" monopsony, while a "new" monopsony literature emphasizes firm labor supply being upwardsloping for reasons other than market structure. Using data from several sources, we explore the relationship between...

Registered nurses (RNs) employed in hospitals realize a large wage advantage relative to RNs employed elsewhere. Cross-sectional estimates indicate a hospital RN wage advantage of roughly 20%. This paper examines possible sources of the hospital premium, a topic of some interest given the...

This paper presents conflicting evidence on trends in private sector union and nonunion wages. The BLS quarterly Employment Cost Index (ECI), constructed from establishment surveys, uses fixed weights applied to wage changes among matched job quotes. The ECI shows a substantial decrease in wage...