← Search

Unionization and Profitability: Evidence from the Capital Market

Richard S. Ruback; Martin B. Zimmerman

Journal of Political Economy 1984

This paper examines the effect of unionization on the profitability of firms. Abnormal monthly common stock returns for a sample of 253 NYSE-listed firms are estimated for the month in which the union petitions for an election and for the month in which the National Labor Relations Board certifies the election outcome. The results suggest that unionization, on average, is associated with a reduction in equity value. When unions win an election, the average loss associated with the unionization drive is 3.8 percent of equity value. When unions lose an election, there is an average net reduction of 1.3 percent in the equity value of the firm.

DOI
10.1086/261278
Volume
92 (6)
Pages
1134-1157
Language
en
Export
BibTeX
Sources
openalex crossref