New Study: Being in a Union means a $1.3 Million Increase in Lifetime Earnings

Being in a union means a $1.3 million increase in lifetime earnings on average over the course of a lifetime, according to a new study published by Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) Review. The analysis found that union men made about $3.4 million from ages 20 to 64, compared to $2.1 for those who were not union members. 

The study analyzed data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 1969 through 2019. The men studied had to be no older than 25 between 1969 and 1973.  As NPR reported, the sample consists only of men because women earners are categorized as "spouse" in the PSID, and data on spouses only began being collected consistently in 1979.