Unions and Robots: Technological Change and the Political Power of Organized Labor

• In Event: Organized Labor and Political Power

Brief Overview

We study the effect of automation on unions' de facto political power. Using data for the U.S., we show that union density declines as a result of automation. We document lower public policy responsiveness to unions in areas affected by automation.

Authors

• Carlos Felipe Balcazar, New York University

• Martin Castillo Quintana, New York University