The Decline of Labor Unions

This chapter examines the relevance of labor unions from various perspectives. First, the chapter explores the origins of labor unions as crucial organizations for defending labor rights for unionized workers and their role beyond the labor sphere. The concept of union density is defined to measure the relative power and influence of labor unions. Second, fluctuations of union density are observed in a group of 30 OECD countries between 1980 and 2018. A longitudinal analysis of unionization trends in these countries is conducted and the levels of both aggregated and disaggregated union density are examined. Third, the factors accounting for union density decline are classified into three categories: cyclical, structural, and political-institutional factors. This analytical structure helps not only to develop a coherent debate about the most relevant factors explaining union density variations but also to generate a comprehensive profile of the workforce most likely to be unionized.