Unions and the use of flexible staffing in korea: evidence from an establishment survey

Using data from the KLI Workplace Survey 2002, this study investigates the effects of unions on the use of flexible staffing arrangements. We find that union representation is positively associated with the employer's use of more flexible forms of employment. This union effect cannot be attributed to the unobserved characteristics of unionized establishments, which may promote the intensive use of flexible staffing arrangements. Our findings cast doubt on the claim that the union effect is a statistical artefact arising from a sorting process in which firms with higher propensities to use flexible staffing arrangements are more likely to be unionized.