Labor Economics Commons^™

Market Structure-Driven Discrimination And The Earnings Of Subordinate Managers: An Analysis By Union Density, Richard U. Agesa, Jacqueline Agesa

Economics Faculty Research

Recent work examines the market structure/racial earnings relationship for union and nonunion workers and finds that standardized union earnings protect black workers from market structure–driven earnings discrimination. This study examines the market structure/racial earnings relationship for low and mid-level managers in high- and low-union density industries. Our findings indicate that there is less market structure–driven discrimination of managers in highly unionized industries. We suggest that there is a spillover effect of reduced market structure–driven discrimination of managers in highly unionized industries that stems from standardized, more racially equitable wages of union workers.