Union Wage Effects and the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Accommodation Sector in Las Vegas and Phoenix

C. Jeffrey Waddoups ()
Additional contact information
C. Jeffrey Waddoups: University of Nevada

Journal of Labor Research, 2024, vol. 45, issue 4, No 3, 549-564

Abstract: Abstract The present study investigates union wage effects before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research focuses on the Accommodation sector of the hospitality industry in Las Vegas, Nevada, where there is a significant union presence, and in Phoenix, Arizona, where there is not. The study employs data from the Current Population Survey from the years 2011 to 2023. Findings suggest that union wage premiums were relatively low over the period between 2011 and 2019, when comparing unionized Las Vegas workers with non-union workers in Las Vegas. Upon introduction of workers from Phoenix into the sample to control for union threat effects, the estimated union wage premium increases significantly. Such results are consistent with a threat effect that raises wages for non-union workers in Las Vegas. The post COVID-19 period, characterized by a steep recession and rapid recovery, including a period of excess demand for labor and high inflation, appeared to be associated with a falling union wage premium.

Keywords: Union Wage Effects; Hospitality Industry; Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12122-025-09369-0 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:jlabre:v:45:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s12122-025-09369-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/12122

DOI: 10.1007/s12122-025-09369-0

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Labor Research is currently edited by Ozkan Eren

More articles in Journal of Labor Research from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().