What the study found
A nurse strike and a teacher lockout in Denmark were each associated with fewer first-priority applications to the related nursing and teacher education programs.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that labor market conflicts can act as negative signals that reduce attraction to a career. They also conclude that there are hidden costs to such conflicts for policymakers, public employers, and public sector unions.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined two large-scale labor market conflicts in Denmark: a nurse strike and a teacher lockout. They used a synthetic control design to estimate how each conflict affected applications to nursing and teacher education programs.
What worked and what didn't
For both conflicts, the study estimated 17%–23% fewer first-priority applications. The abstract does not report other outcomes, and it does not present evidence that any countervailing effect offset the drop in applications.
What to keep in mind
The abstract gives no detailed limitations beyond the study scope. The findings are limited to these two Danish public service education programs and the two conflicts studied.
Key points
- Two Danish labor conflicts were studied: a nurse strike and a teacher lockout.
- Both conflicts were linked to fewer first-priority applications to the related education programs.
- The estimated drop in applications was 17%–23% for each conflict.
- The authors suggest labor market conflicts may send negative signals about a career.
- The abstract does not describe detailed limitations.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Strikes and lockouts reduced applications to Danish public service programs
- Authors:
- Christian Heide, Florian Keppeler
- Institutions:
- Aarhus University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-10
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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