Length of Service and Layoffs in Union and Nonunion Work Groups
Katharine G. Abraham and James L. Medoff
,
1
(
38
)
Industrial and Labor Relations Review
87-97
October
1984
Abstract
This paper presents survey evidence from about 200 firms that protection against job loss grows with employees' length of service even after controlling for the perceived net value of employees to the firm. As would be expected, senior workers are better protected against permanent layoff in union than in nonunion firms, but even in the absence of unionism, longer service generally translates into extra protection.