Do Strikes Kill? Evidence from New York State
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Hospitals now represent one of the largest union sectors of the US economy, and there is particular concern about the impact of strikes on patient welfare. We analyze the effects of nurses' strikes in hospitals on patient outcomes in New York State. Controlling for hospital specific heterogeneity, the results show that nurses' strikes increase in-hospital mortality by 18.3 percent and 30-day readmission by 5.7 percent for patients admitted during a strike, with little change in patient demographics, disease severity or treatment intensity. The results suggest that hospitals functioning during nurses' strikes do so at a lower quality of patient care.
Date issued
2012-02Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of EconomicsJournal
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Publisher
American Economic Association
Citation
Gruber, Jonathan, and Samuel A. Kleiner. 2012. "Do Strikes Kill? Evidence from New York State." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 4(1): 127–57. DOI:10.1257/pol.4.1.127 © 2012 AEA
Version: Final published version
ISSN
1945-774X
1945-7731