Discussion Papers

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18564

Collective Bargaining and Monopsony: The Regulation of Noncompete Agreements in France

Tito Boeri, Tommaso Crescioli, Andrea Garnero, Lorenzo Giovanni Luisetto

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18506

The Economic Consequences of Divorce and Separation in Colombia

Angela Guarín, Andres Ham Gonzalez

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18178

International Student Migration: Did Brexit Close the Door to EU Students?

Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, Ines Homburg, Anneleen Huyghe, Suncica Vujic

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18139

Upholding Unions – How Colleagues Shape Union Membership?

Harald Dale-Olsen, Henning Finseraas, Kristine Nergaard, Elin Svarstad

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18128

Unions in Developing Countries

Alex Bryson, Mari Tanaka

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18128

Unions in Developing Countries

Alex Bryson, Mari Tanaka

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18065

What Do (Thousands of) Union Do? Union-Specific Pay Premia and Inequality

Ellora Derenoncourt, Francois Gerard, Lorenzo Lagos, Claire Montialoux

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18010

What is Happening to Unionization in Japan?

Alex Bryson, Ryo Kambayashi, Susumu Kuwahara, Akie Nakamura, Jacques Wels

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18010

What is Happening to Unionization in Japan?

Alex Bryson, Ryo Kambayashi, Susumu Kuwahara, Akie Nakamura, Jacques Wels

IZA Discussion Paper No. 18010

What is Happening to Unionization in Japan?

Alex Bryson, Ryo Kambayashi, Susumu Kuwahara, Akie Nakamura, Jacques Wels

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17950

Monetary Policy in Currency Unions with Unequal Countries

Lukas Boehnert, Sergio de Ferra, Kurt Mitman, Federica Romei

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17864

Robots Replacing Trade Unions: Novel Data and Evidence from Western Europe

Paolo Agnolin, Massimo Anelli, Italo Colantone, Piero Stanig

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17764

China’s Import Competition, Innovation and the Role of Unions

Alessia Matano, Paolo Naticchioni

published in: Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 2025, 73, 423-433

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17709

Political Spillovers of Worker Representation: With or Without Workplace Democracy?

Uwe Jirjahn

revised version published in: Analyse und Kritik - Journal of Philosophy and Social Theory, 2025, 47 (1), 5-30

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17680

American Workers' Experience with Socialism During the World Wars

John H. Pencavel

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17670

Rigid Yet Resilient: Firms' Margins of Adjustment to Demand Shocks in Regulated Labour Markets

Claudio Lucifora, Federica Origo

published in: Labour Economics, 2025, 94, 102706

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17657

Short-Time Work and Unionization

Daniele Biancardi, Claudio Lucifora, Federica Origo

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17615

Unions and Employers' Associations in Germany: A Survey of Their Membership, Density and Bargaining Coverage

Claus Schnabel

published in: Journal for Labour Market Research, 2025, 59, 7(2025)

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17544

Automation, Trade Unions and Atypical Employment

Piotr Lewandowski, Wojciech Szymczak

published online in: Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 08 December 2025

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17381

The Rules of the Game: Local Wage Bargaining and the Gender Pay Gap

Maria Olsson, Oskar Nordström Skans

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17326

Accounting for the Growth of Real Wages of U.S. Manufacturing Production Workers since the Nineteenth Century

John H. Pencavel

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17208

Worker Power, Immigrant Sorting, and Firm Dynamics

Mikko Silliman, Alexander Willén

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17152

Worker Representatives

Julian Budde, Thomas Dohmen, Simon Jäger, Simon Trenkle

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17140

An Analysis of the Changes in British Workers' Real Wages since the 19th Century

John H. Pencavel

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17116

Offshoring and the Decline of Unions

Jakob R. Munch, William W. Olney

IZA Discussion Paper No. 17034

Union Bargaining Power and the Amenity-Wage Tradeoff

Lorenzo Lagos

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16870

Slouching Towards Decentralization. An Equilibrium Approach for Collective Bargaining.

Gabriele Cardullo

published online in: Italian Economic Journal, 28 February 2025

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16727

Corporate Globalization and Worker Representation

Uwe Jirjahn

published in: Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, Springer, 2024

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16697

How Do Firms Respond to Unions?

Samuel Dodini, Anna Stansbury, Alexander Willén

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16657

Echoes of the Past: The Enduring Impact of Communism on Contemporary Freedom of Speech Values

Milena Nikolova, Olga Popova

revised version published in: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2024, 227, 106739

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16604

Unionization of Retired Workers in Europe

Vinzenz Pyka, Claus Schnabel

published in: European Journal of Industrial Relations, 2025, 31 (1), 5-29

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16604

Unionization of Retired Workers in Europe

Vinzenz Pyka, Claus Schnabel

published in: European Journal of Industrial Relations, 2025, 31 (1), 5-29

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16588

The Impact of Right-to-Work Laws on Long Hours and Work Schedules

Rania Gihleb, Osea Giuntella, Jian Qi Tan

published in: Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2024, 43 (3), 696-713

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16468

A Bad Break-up? Assessing the Effects of the 2016 Brexit Referendum on Migration

Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, Ines Homburg, Jonathan James, Suncica Vujic

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16185

The Career Effects of Union Membership

Samuel Dodini, Kjell G. Salvanes, Alexander Willén, Li Zhu

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16059

Why Do Labor Unions Advocate for Minimum Wage Increases?

Jeffrey Clemens, Michael R. Strain

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16035

Seeking Shelter in Times of Crisis? Unemployment, Perceived Job Insecurity and Trade Union Membership

Adrian Chadi, Laszlo Goerke

published in: Economica, 2023, 90 (359), 1041-1088

IZA Discussion Paper No. 16014

Does Policy Advocacy Generate Good PR? Evidence from Labor Unions and Minimum Wages

Jeffrey Clemens, Michael R. Strain

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15932

The Employment Effects of the Disability Education Gap in Europe

Maciej Albinowski, Iga Magda, Agata Rozszczypał a

published online in: Education Economics, 29 September 2023

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15898

On the Emergence of Cooperative Industrial and Labor Relations

Gabriele Cardullo, Maurizio Conti, Andrea Ricci, Sergio Scicchitano, Giovanni Sulis

published in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2024, 62 (3), 568 - 590

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15893

Unions as Insurance: Employer–Worker Risk Sharing and Workers' Outcomes during COVID-19

Nils Braakmann, Boris Hirsch

published in: Industrial Relations, 2024, 63 (2), 152-171

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15853

Economic Growth and Pollutant Emissions: New Panel Evidence from the Union for the Mediterranean Countries

Mouna Ben Abdeljelil, Christophe Rault, Fateh Belaïd

published in: Economic Change and Restructuring, 2023, 56, 1537-1566

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15844

Is There a Union Wage Premium in Germany and Which Workers Benefit Most?

Marina Bonaccolto-Töpfer, Claus Schnabel

published in: Economies, 2023, 11 (2), 50

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15844

Is There a Union Wage Premium in Germany and Which Workers Benefit Most?

Marina Bonaccolto-Töpfer, Claus Schnabel

published in: Economies, 2023, 11 (2), 50

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15685

The Minimum Wage and Union Membership among Minimum Wage Workers: Why Do Unions Advocate for Minimum Wage Increases?

Jeffrey Clemens, Michael R. Strain

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15660

Decent Wage Floors in Europe: Does the Minimum Wage Directive Get It Right?

Henri Haapanala, Ive Marx, Zachary Parolin

published in: Journal of European Social Policy, 2023, 33 (4), 421 - 435

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15635

The Dynamics of Power in Labor Markets: Monopolistic Unions versus Monopsonistic Employers

Samuel Dodini, Kjell G. Salvanes, Alexander Willén

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15632

Technical Change, Task Allocation, and Labor Unions

Martyna Marczak, Thomas Beissinger, Franziska Brall

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15587

Immigrants and Trade Union Membership: Does Integration into Society and Workplace Play a Moderating Role?

Fenet Jima Bedaso, Uwe Jirjahn, Laszlo Goerke

revised version published in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2024, 62 (2), 262-292 (authored by Fenet Jima Bedaso and Uwe Jirjahn)

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15552

Collective Bargaining for Women: How Unions Can Create Female-Friendly Jobs

Viola Corradini, Lorenzo Lagos, Garima Sharma

published in: Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2025, 140 (3), 2053–2105

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15500

The German Model of Industrial Relations: Balancing Flexibility and Collective Action

Simon Jäger, Shakked Noy, Benjamin Schoefer

published in: Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2022, 36 (4), 53 - 80

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15459

Job Satisfaction and Trade Union Membership in Germany

Laszlo Goerke, Yue Huang

published in: Labour Economics, 2022, 78, 102238

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15444

Political Spillovers of Workplace Democracy in Germany

Uwe Jirjahn, Thi Xuan Thu Le

revised version published in: Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 2024, 95 (1), 5-31

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15333

Evolution of Union Wages and Determinants

Tony Fang, John Hartley

published in: Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, Springer, 2022

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15293

Monopsony Makes Firms Not Only Small but Also Unproductive: Why East Germany Has Not Converged

Rüdiger Bachmann, Christian Bayer, Heiko Stüber, Felix Wellschmied

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15210

Are the East African Community's Countries Ready for a Common Currency?

Thomas Kigabo-Rusuhuzwa, Almas Heshmati

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15112

Uncovered Workers in Plants Covered by Collective Bargaining: Who Are They and How Do They Fare?

Boris Hirsch, Philipp Lentge, Claus Schnabel

published in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2022, 60 (4), 929-945

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15080

Robots and Unions: The Moderating Effect of Organised Labour on Technological Unemployment

Henri Haapanala, Ive Marx, Zachary Parolin

published in: Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2023, 44 (3), 827-852

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15079

Differential Patterns between Private and Public Sector Wages in Spain

Alba Couceiro de León, Juan J. Dolado

IZA Discussion Paper No. 15008

Worker Representation

Alex Bryson, John Forth

published in: T. Eriksson (ed.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Labour Studies , Edward Elgar, 2023, 237–241

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14849

Labor Unions and the Electoral Consequences of Trade Liberalization

Pedro Molina Ogeda, Emanuel Ornelas, Rodrigo R. Soares

published in: Journal of the European Economic Association, 2025, 23 (1), 236-280

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14834

Institutional Integration and Productivity Growth: Evidence from the 1995 Enlargement of the European Union

Nauro F. Campos, Fabrizio Coricelli, Emanuele Franceschi

published in: European Economic Review, 2022, 142, 104014

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14783

Membership in Employers' Associations and Collective Bargaining Coverage in Germany

Uwe Jirjahn

revised version published in: Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2023, 44 (3), 798-826

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14712

Double-Edged Sword: Persistent Effects of Communism on Life Satisfaction

Vladimir Otrachshenko, Milena Nikolova, Olga Popova

revised version published in: Journal of Population Economics, 2023, 36(3), 1139–1185

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14538

Migration and Labor Market Integration in Europe

David Dorn, Josef Zweimüller

published in: Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2021, 35(2), 49-76

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14465

What Does Codetermination Do?

Simon Jäger, Shakked Noy, Benjamin Schoefer

published in: ILR Review, 2022, 75 (4), 857-890.

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14398

Five Decades of Union Wages, Nonunion Wages, and Union Wage Gaps at Unionstats.com

David A. Macpherson, Barry Hirsch

published as 'Five decades of CPS wages, methods, and union-nonunion wage gaps at Unionstats.com' in: Industrial Relations, 2023, 62 (4), 439-452

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14283

Wage Flexibility under Sectoral Bargaining

David Card, Ana Rute Cardoso

published in: Journal of the European Economic Association, 2022, 20 (5), 2062 - 2097

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14208

Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths

Jamein Cunningham, Donn. L. Feir, Rob Gillezeau

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14164

Immigration and Voting Patterns in the European Union: Evidence from Five Case Studies and Cross-Country Analysis

Ethan Grumstrup, Todd A. Sorensen, Jan Misiuna, Marta Pachocka

published in: Migration Letters, 2021, 18 (5), 573–589.

IZA Discussion Paper No. 14102

Are Unions Detrimental to Innovation? Theory and Evidence

Fabio Berton, Stefano Dughera, Andrea Ricci

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13799

Robots and Worker Voice: An Empirical Exploration

Filippo Belloc, Gabriel Burdin, Fabio Landini

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13747

Do Public Subsidies of Union Membership Increase Union Membership Rates?

Erling Barth, Alex Bryson, Harald Dale-Olsen

published in: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2025, 229, 106855

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13747

Do Public Subsidies of Union Membership Increase Union Membership Rates?

Erling Barth, Alex Bryson, Harald Dale-Olsen

published in: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2025, 229, 106855

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13679

Trade and Economic Growth: Theories and Evidence from the Southern African Development Community

Matias Jaime Farahane, Almas Heshmati

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13668

The Effect on Foreign Direct Investment of Membership in the European Union

Randolph Luca Bruno, Nauro F. Campos, Saul Estrin

published in: Journal of Common Market Studies, 2021, 59 (4), 802-821

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13615

The Persistence of Union Membership within the Coalfields of Britain

Huw Beynon, Helen Blakely, Alex Bryson, Rhys Davies

published in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2021, 59 (4), 1131-1152

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13551

H. Gregg Lewis: Perhaps the Father of Modern Labor Economics

Daniel S. Hamermesh

published in: Robert A. Cord (ed.), The Palgrave Companion to Chicago Economics, Vol. II, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024, 574-594,

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13465

Union Membership and Collective Bargaining: Trends and Determinants

Claus Schnabel

published in: K. F. Zimmermann (ed.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, Springer, Cham, 2020

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13465

Union Membership and Collective Bargaining: Trends and Determinants

Claus Schnabel

published in: K. F. Zimmermann (ed.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics, Springer, Cham, 2020

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13385

From Pink-Collar to Lab Coat: Cultural Persistence and Diffusion of Socialist Gender Norms

Naomi Friedman-Sokuler, Claudia Senik

published in: Journal of Population Economics, 2025, 38, 11

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13226

Electoral Democracy at Work

Philippe Askenazy, Thomas Breda

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13226

Electoral Democracy at Work

Philippe Askenazy, Thomas Breda

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13175

Wage Differentials, Bargaining Protocols, and Trade Unionism in Mid-Twentieth Century American Labor Markets

John H. Pencavel

published in: ILR Review, 2022, 75 (1), 139 - 167.

IZA Discussion Paper No. 13015

Unions, Tripartite Competition and Innovation

Alex Bryson, Harald Dale-Olsen

published in: Research in Labor Economics, 2021, 49, 41-65

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12809

Productivity Dynamics: The Role of Competition in a Service Industry

Thomas Breda, Alex Bryson, John Forth

published in: Economic Inquiry, 2026 https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fecin.70038

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12786

Revisiting Union Wage and Job Loss Effects Using the Displaced Worker Surveys

Abhir Kulkarni, Barry Hirsch

published in: ILR Review, 2021, 74 (4), 948-976

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12696

Passports for Sale: The Political Economy of Conflict and Cooperation in a Meta-Club

Kai A. Konrad, Ray Rees

published in: European Journal of Political Economy, 2020, 62, 101855

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12546

Creative Destruction, Social Security Uptake and Union Networks

Harald Dale-Olsen

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12542

Determinants of Productivity Gap in the European Union: A Multilevel Perspective

Randolph Luca Bruno, Elodie Douarin, Julia Korosteleva, Slavo Radosevic

published as 'The Two Disjointed Faces of R&D and the Productivity Gap in Europe' in: Journal of Common Market Studies, 2022, 60 (3), 580 - 603

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12515

Unions and Firms' Investments: A Unified View

Fabio Berton, Stefano Dughera, Andrea Ricci

published as 'A simple model of holdup, union voice, and firm investments' in: S.W. Polachek, K. Tatsiramos, G. Russo and G. van Houten (eds.): Workplace productivity and management practices (Research in Labor Economics, 49), 2021, 67 - 84

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12350

The Distribution of Well-Being among Europeans

Andrea Brandolini, Alfonso Rosolia

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12344

Works Councils and Organizational Gender Policies in Germany

Uwe Jirjahn, Jens Mohrenweiser

revised version published in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2021, 59 (4), 1020-1048

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12326

Stalin and the Origins of Mistrust

Milena Nikolova, Olga Popova, Vladimir Otrachshenko

revised version published in: Journal of Public Economics, 2022, 208, 104629

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12258

Disability and the Unionized Workplace

Mason Ameri, Mohammad Ali, Lisa Schur, Douglas L. Kruse

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12254

To Europe or Not to Europe? Migration and Public Support for Joining the European Union in the Western Balkans

Artjoms Ivlevs, Roswitha M. King

published in: International Migration Review, 2020, 54(2), 559–584

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12113

Works Councils and Workplace Health Promotion in Germany

Uwe Jirjahn, Jens Mohrenweiser, Stephen C. Smith

revised version published in: Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2022, 43 (3), 1059-1094

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12093

Wage Flexibility in a Unionized Economy with Stable Wage Dispersion

Mikael Carlsson, Iida Häkkinen Skans, Oskar Nordström Skans

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12089

Labor-Market Concentration and Labor Compensation

Yue Qiu, Aaron Sojourner

IZA Discussion Paper No. 12008

Unions, Two-Tier Bargaining and Physical Capital Investment: Theory and Firm-Level Evidence from Italy

Gabriele Cardullo, Maurizio Conti, Giovanni Sulis

revised version published as 'A Model of Unions, Two-Tier Bargaining and Capital Investment' in: Labour Economics, 2020, 67, 101936