The Effects of Teacher Strikes on Compensation, Working Conditions, and Productivity

We examine how teacher strikes in the United States affect compensation, working conditions, and productivity with an original dataset of 745 teacher strikes between 2007 and 2024. Using an event study framework, we find that the average strike leads to a 6% ($7,629) increase in combined annual wages and benefits and a 0.5 student (3.2%) decline in pupil-teacher ratios after five years. There is little evidence of sizable impacts on student achievement up to five years post-strike, though strikes lasting 10 or more days decrease math achievement in the short-term.