In this study, I analyze the determinants of total, private, and public sector union density among 191 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in the year 2000. In particular, I examine the effects of five measures of globalization (global capital, foreign direct investment, exports, foreign-born citizens, and foreign-born non-citizens) and four measures of labor market transformation (deindustrialization, corporate restructuring, bureaucratic burden, and casualization) on metropolitan union density while controlling for labor market structure, the business cycle, and the political climate. My analysis demonstrates that: 1) globalization and labor market transformation have moderately negative, but cross-cutting effects on union density; 2) globalization has a greater effect on public sector unions while economic determinants primarily affect private sector unions; and 3) labor market transformation and the political climate strongly affect all three measures of union density. This paper informs theoretical debates on unionization by providing a comprehensive accounting of the impact of globalization and labor market transformation on metropolitan union density.
","abstract_html":"<p>In this study, I analyze the determinants of total, private, and public sector union density among 191 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in the year 2000. In particular, I examine the effects of five measures of globalization (global capital, foreign direct investment, exports, foreign-born citizens, and foreign-born non-citizens) and four measures of labor market transformation (deindustrialization, corporate restructuring, bureaucratic burden, and casualization) on metropolitan union density while controlling for labor market structure, the business cycle, and the political climate. My analysis demonstrates that: 1) globalization and labor market transformation have moderately negative, but cross-cutting effects on union density; 2) globalization has a greater effect on public sector unions while economic determinants primarily affect private sector unions; and 3) labor market transformation and the political climate strongly affect all three measures of union density. This paper informs theoretical debates on unionization by providing a comprehensive accounting of the impact of globalization and labor market transformation on metropolitan union density.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Vachon, Todd"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["David Weakliem; Jeremy Pais","Michael Wallace"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-06-20T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-06-20T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:31:50Z","subjects":["labor unions","globalization","union decline","union density"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/303","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["David Weakliem; Jeremy Pais","Michael Wallace"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Vachon, Todd"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-06-20T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["labor unions","globalization","union decline","union density"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/303"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this study, I analyze the determinants of total, private, and public sector union density among 191 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in the year 2000. In particular, I examine the effects of five measures of globalization (global capital, foreign direct investment, exports, foreign-born citizens, and foreign-born non-citizens) and four measures of labor market transformation (deindustrialization, corporate restructuring, bureaucratic burden, and casualization) on metropolitan union density while controlling for labor market structure, the business cycle, and the political climate. My analysis demonstrates that: 1) globalization and labor market transformation have moderately negative, but cross-cutting effects on union density; 2) globalization has a greater effect on public sector unions while economic determinants primarily affect private sector unions; and 3) labor market transformation and the political climate strongly affect all three measures of union density. This paper informs theoretical debates on unionization by providing a comprehensive accounting of the impact of globalization and labor market transformation on metropolitan union density.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Globalization, Labor Market Transformation, and Union Decline in U.S. Metropolitan Areas"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["David Weakliem; Jeremy Pais","Michael Wallace"],"dc:creator":["Vachon, Todd"],"dc:date.available":["2012-06-20T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this study, I analyze the determinants of total, private, and public sector union density among 191 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in the year 2000. In particular, I examine the effects of five measures of globalization (global capital, foreign direct investment, exports, foreign-born citizens, and foreign-born non-citizens) and four measures of labor market transformation (deindustrialization, corporate restructuring, bureaucratic burden, and casualization) on metropolitan union density while controlling for labor market structure, the business cycle, and the political climate. My analysis demonstrates that: 1) globalization and labor market transformation have moderately negative, but cross-cutting effects on union density; 2) globalization has a greater effect on public sector unions while economic determinants primarily affect private sector unions; and 3) labor market transformation and the political climate strongly affect all three measures of union density. This paper informs theoretical debates on unionization by providing a comprehensive accounting of the impact of globalization and labor market transformation on metropolitan union density.
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