Educational Mismatch and Trade Union Membership

Theresa Geißler and Laszlo Goerke

Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 2026, vol. 65, issue 1, 24-44

Abstract: We hypothesize that trade unions assist their members in avoiding situations of educational mismatch. We test this hypothesis using data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel and find that trade union membership is negatively associated with overeducation and positively associated with the likelihood of being educationally matched. These correlations are especially pronounced among core groups of members. Our findings suggest that a strong trade union presence within these groups helps avert the adverse consequences of overeducation and educational mismatch. We observe no systematic linkage between union membership and undereducation.

Date: 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12391

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