Unemployment, workplace socialization, and electoral participation: evidence from Sweden

Abstract How unemployment affects electoral participation is a archetypal question in political sociology and of particular relevance economic crises; the 1930s as well during pandemic. A frequent argument literature that leads to withdrawal unemployed have focus on their economy other personal matters. Some scholars, hand, reason triggers mobilization through feelings grievance strive protest against leading politicians. However, existing empirical evidence mixed often suffers from limitations data research design. To make progress this difficult question, present study leverages Swedish register turnout, spanning nine elections between 1970 2018. This extensive panel dataset enables us more adequately address causal status relationship by relying with-in individual variation turnout. Our results report significant but modest negative effects both general losing relatively well-paid job (job loss). The are driven young. We also find effect less pronounced for those who previously worked at workplace where most colleagues participate, supporting socialization mechanism.