Comments on “An Empirical Assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act: the Economic Implications” by Ann Layne-Farrar

Authors

  • Susan Johnson

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25071/1705-1436.48

Abstract

“An Empirical Assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act: The Economic Implications” by Ann Layne-Farrar provides empirical evidence concerning the impact on the U.S. unemployment rate and employment-to-population ratio should the highly controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) become law. The paper has received widespread public attention and its analysis is being used in the debate surrounding the EFCA. This commentary raises three important questions about the empirical analysis: Are the predictions presented in the study, concerning the effects of the EFCA, realistic? Is the research design likely to identify the effects of the EFCA? Why do the data used in the analysis cover such a short time period? The discussion suggests the empirical results presented in Layne-Farrar (2009) should be viewed with considerable skepticism.

References

Carter, A. and E. Lotke. 2007. “The Employee Free Choice Act Impact on Health Care and Pension Benefits”. Institute for America’s Future, April. http://www.ourfuture.org/files/z_historic/EFCA/UnitedStatesofAmercia.pdf.

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Layne-Farrar, A. 2009. “An Empirical Assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act: The Economic Implications”. Working Paper posted on the Social Sciences Research Network in March. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1353305

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Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Hearing on Rebuilding Economic Security: Empowering Workers to Restore the Middle Class, March 10, 2009, http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_03_10/Layne-Farrar.pdf.

Slinn, S. 2004. “An Empirical Analysis of the Effects of the Change from CardCheck to Mandatory Vote Certifications”. Canadian Labor and Employment Law Journal. Vol. 11, pp. 259-302.

Statistics Canada. Perspectives on Labour and Income. Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE. Union membership data are presented annually in the Autumn issue.

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Published

2009-11-01

How to Cite

Johnson, S. (2009). Comments on “An Empirical Assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act: the Economic Implications” by Ann Layne-Farrar. Just Labour, 15. https://doi.org/10.25071/1705-1436.48