Data and Code for: The Effects of Import Competition on Unionization

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) John Ahlquist, UC San Diego; Mitch Downey, Institute of International Economic Studies, Stockholm University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
Data-Created			12/13/2022 01:38:PM
Data-Raw			12/12/2022 07:30:PM
Data-Temp			12/13/2022 01:42:PM
Programs			12/13/2022 02:30:AM
ado			12/12/2022 08:01:PM
README.pdf	application/pdf	225.9 KB	03/24/2023 09:54:AM
Readme.pdf	application/pdf	64.6 KB	08/03/2022 08:15:PM
bjhweights.dta	application/x-stata-dta	116.8 KB	08/01/2022 03:14:AM
conc_ind1990_indnaics.dta	application/x-stata-dta	14.9 KB	08/02/2022 04:36:AM
conc_sic87dd_indnaics.dta	application/x-stata-dta	13.5 KB	08/01/2022 03:47:AM

Project Citation:

Ahlquist, John, and Downey, Mitch. Data and Code for: The Effects of Import Competition on Unionization. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-10-24. https://doi.org/10.3886/E176801V1

Project Description

Summary: We study direct and indirect effects of Chinese import competition on union membership in the United States, 1990-2014. Import competition in manufacturing induced a modest decline in unionization within manufacturing industries. The magnitude is small because unionized manufacturers competed in higher-quality product segments. Manufacturers in Right-to-Work states experienced more direct competition with low-quality Chinese imports. Outside manufacturing, however, import competition causes an important increase in union membership as less-educated women shift away from retail and towards jobs in healthcare and education where unions are stronger. We calculate that Chinese imports prevented 26% of the union density decline that would have otherwise occurred.

This archive includes all data and code needed to reproduce the figures and tables in the main text and appendicies.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: unions; imports; labor market adjustments; china; census data; differences-in-differences

JEL Classification:
      F14 Empirical Studies of Trade
      J50 Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining: General
      J60 Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers: General

Geographic Coverage: USA

Time Period(s): 1990 – 2014

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation: US industries (census level), US states

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Published Versions

V1 [2023-10-24]

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