Did Right-to-Work Laws Impact Income Inequality? Evidence from US States Using the Synthetic Control Method
A new report from the American Enterprise Institute finds that Right-to-Work laws, which make it illegal for labor unions and employers to require employees to pay union dues, did not worsen income inequality in the states that adopted them. Did Right-to-Work Laws Impact Income Inequality? Evidence from US States Using the Synthetic Control Method uses several measures of inequality in four states that enacted Right-to-Work laws between the 1960s and 2000s, finding that such laws “did not contribute to the worsening of their state’s income inequality.” The authors argue that increased unionization and collective bargaining cannot adequately address inequality in the United States.