The degree of unionization in Austria

This paper investigates the development of trade union membership in Austria und its determining factors. The proportion of labor organized in unions has been falling more or less steadily in Austria since World War II; since 1981 membership has been decreasing as well. A rather widely employed explanation for changes in trade union membership focuses on shifts in the structure of employment. This approach is examined for the Austrian case by applying a shift share analysis for the period 1970-1995. The results show that changes in the structure of employment can explain a large part of the decline in union membership. After 1980 there is growing lack of explanation, which indicates the occurrence of additional negative factors in union membership in the 1980s.