Union Membership (Annual)

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, January 20, 2022	USDL-22-0079
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UNION MEMBERS - 2021

In 2021, the number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions continued to decline (-241,000) to

14.0 million, and the percent who were members of unions-theunion membership rate-was 10.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The rate is down from 10.8 percent in 2020-when the rate increased due to a disproportionately large decline in the total number of nonunion workers compared with the decline in the number of union members. The 2021 unionization rate is the same as the 2019 rate of 10.3 percent. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent and there were 17.7 million union workers.

These data on union membership are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation's civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. For further information, see the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2021 data:

• The union membership rate of public-sector workers (33.9 percent) continued to be more than five times higher than the rate of private-sector workers (6.1 percent). (See table 3.)
• The highest unionization rates were among workers in education, training, and library occupations (34.6 percent) and protective service occupations (33.3 percent). (See table 3.)
• Men continued to have a higher union membership rate (10.6 percent) than women (9.9 percent). The gap between union membership rates for men and women has narrowed considerably since 1983 (the earliest year for which comparable data are available), when rates for men and women were 24.7 percent and 14.6 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)
• Black workers remained more likely to be union members than White, Asian, or Hispanic workers. (See table 1.)
• Nonunion workers had median weekly earnings that were 83 percent of earnings for workers who were union members ($975 versus $1,169). (The comparisons of earnings in this news release are on a broad level and do not control for many factors that can be important in explaining earnings differences.) (See table 2.)

• Among states, Hawaii and New York continued to have the highest union membership rates (22.4 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively), while South Carolina and North Carolina continued to have the lowest (1.7 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively). (See table 5.)

Industry and Occupation of Union Members

In 2021, 7.0 million employees in the public sector belonged to unions, the same as in the private sector. (See table 3.)

Union membership decreased by 191,000 over the year in the public sector. The public-sector union membership rate declined by 0.9 percentage point in 2021 to 33.9 percent, following an increase of 1.2 percentage points in 2020. In 2021, the union membership rate continued to be highest in local government (40.2 percent), which employs many workers in heavily unionized occupations, such as police officers, firefighters, and teachers.

The number of union workers employed in the private sector changed little over the year. However, the number of private-sector nonunion workers increased in 2021. The private-sector unionization rate declined by 0.2 percentage point in 2021 to 6.1 percent, slightly lower than its 2019 rate of 6.2 percent. Industries with high unionization rates included utilities (19.7 percent), motion pictures and sound recording industries (17.3 percent), and transportation and warehousing (14.7 percent). Low unionization rates occurred in finance (1.2 percent), professional and technical services (1.2 percent), food services and drinking places (1.2 percent), and insurance (1.5 percent).

Among occupational groups, the highest unionization rates in 2021 were in education, training, and library occupations (34.6 percent) and protective service occupations (33.3 percent). Unionization rates were lowest in food preparation and serving related occupations (3.1 percent); sales and related occupations (3.3 percent); computer and mathematical occupations (3.7 percent); personal care and service occupations (3.9 percent); and farming, fishing, and forestry occupations (4.0 percent).

Selected Characteristics of Union Members

In 2021, the number of men who were union members, at 7.5 million, changed little, while the number of women who were union members declined by 182,000 to 6.5 million. The unionization rate for men decreased by 0.4 percentage point over the year to 10.6 percent. In 2021, women's union membership rate declined by 0.6 percentage point to 9.9 percent. The 2021 decreases in union membership rates for men and women reflect increases in the total number of nonunion workers. The rate for men is below the 2019 rate (10.8 percent), while the rate for women is above the 2019 rate (9.7 percent). (See table 1.)

Among major race and ethnicity groups, Black workers continued to have a higher union membership rate in 2021 (11.5 percent) than White workers (10.3 percent), Asian workers (7.7 percent), and Hispanic workers (9.0 percent). The union membership rate declined by 0.4 percentage point for White workers, by 0.8 percentage point for Black workers, by 1.2 percentage points for Asian workers, and by

0.8 percentage point for Hispanic workers. The 2021 rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics are little or no different from 2019, while the rate for Asians is lower.

By age, workers ages 45 to 54 had the highest union membership rate in 2021, at 13.1 percent. Younger workers-those ages 16 to 24-had the lowest union membership rate, at 4.2 percent.

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In 2021, the union membership rate for full-timeworkers (11.1 percent) continued to be considerably higher than that for part-timeworkers (6.1 percent).

Union Representation

In 2021, 15.8 million wage and salary workers were represented by a union, 137,000 less than in 2020. The percentage of workers represented by a union was 11.6 percent, down by 0.5 percentage point from 2020 but the same as in 2019. Workers represented by a union include both union members (14.0 million) and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union contract (1.8 million). (See table 1.)

Earnings

Among full-time wage and salary workers, union members had median usual weekly earnings of $1,169 in 2021, while those who were not union members had median weekly earnings of $975. In addition to coverage by a collective bargaining agreement, these earnings differences reflect a variety of influences, including variations in the distributions of union members and nonunion employees by occupation, industry, age, firm size, or geographic region. (See tables 2 and 4.)

Union Membership by State

In 2021, 30 states and the District of Columbia had union membership rates below that of the U.S. average, 10.3 percent, while 20 states had rates above it. All states in both the East South Central and West South Central divisions had union membership rates below the national average, while all states in both the Middle Atlantic and Pacific divisions had rates above it. (See table 5 and chart 1.)

Ten states had union membership rates below 5.0 percent in 2021. South Carolina had the lowest rate (1.7 percent), followed by North Carolina (2.6 percent) and Utah (3.5 percent). Two states had union membership rates over 20.0 percent in 2021: Hawaii (22.4 percent) and New York (22.2 percent).

In 2021, about 30 percent of the 14.0 million union members lived in just two states (California at 2.5 million and New York at 1.7 million). However, these states accounted for about 17 percent of wage and salary employment nationally.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on 2021 Union Members Data

Union membership data for 2021 continue to reflect the impact on the labor market of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Comparisons with union membership measures for 2020, including metrics such as the union membership rate and median usual weekly earnings, should be interpreted with caution. The onset of the pandemic in 2020 led to an increase in the unionization rate due to a disproportionately large decline in the number of nonunion workers compared with the decline in the number of union members. The decrease in the rate in 2021 reflects a large gain in the number of nonunion workers and a decrease in the number of union workers. More information on labor market developments in recent months is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-and-response-on-the-employment-situation-news-release.htm.

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Technical Note

The estimates in this release are obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides basic information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 eligible households. The union membership and earnings data are tabulated from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers are excluded.

Beginning in January of each year, data reflect revised population controls used in the CPS. Additional information about population controls is available on the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: [phone]; Federal Relay Service: [phone].

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. The state section of this release preserves the long- time practice of highlighting the state union membership rates and levels regardless of their statistical significance.

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

Information about the reliability of data from the CPS and guidance on estimating standard errors is available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Union membership questions

Employed wage and salary workers are classified as union members if they answer "yes" to the following question: On this job, are you a member of a labor union or of an employee association similar to a union? If the response is "no" to that question, then the interviewer asks a second question: On this job, are you covered by a union or employee association contract? If the response is "yes," then these persons, along with those who responded "yes" to being union members, are classified as represented by a union. If the response is "no" to both the first and second questions, then they are classified as

nonunion.

Definitions

The principal definitions used in this release are described briefly below.

Union members. Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.

Union membership rate. Data refer to the proportion of total wage and salary workers who are union members.

Represented by unions. Data refer to both union members and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.

Nonunion. Data refer to workers who are neither members of a union nor represented by a union on their job.

Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders). Prior to 1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week. Since January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly, annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time period. Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a weekly equivalent. The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent. If the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed to define the term as more than half of the weeks worked during the past 4 or 5 months.

Median earnings. The median is the amount which divides a given earnings distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median and the other having earnings below the median. The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly earnings value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples of $50. The actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of the interval in which the median lies.

Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries, commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group includes employees in both the private and public sectors. Union membership and earnings data exclude all self-employed workers, both those with incorporated businesses as well as those with unincorporated businesses.

Full-timeworkers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week at their sole or principal job.

Part-timeworkers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per week at their sole or principal job.

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Refers to persons who identified themselves in the enumeration process as being Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Table 1. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by selected characteristics, 2020-2021 annual averages

[Numbers in thousands]

			2020						2021
		Members	Represented		Members	Represented
			of			of
					2				2
Characteristic	Total	unions1	by unions		Total	unions1	by unions
	employed			Percent		Percent	employed			Percent		Percent
		Total		of	Total		of		Total		of	Total	of
				employed		employed				employed		employed
AGE AND SEX
Total, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	132,174	14,253		10.8	15,939	12.1	136,393	14,012		10.3	15,802	11.6
16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16,744	741		4.4	865		5.2	18,083	763		4.2	954	5.3
25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	115,430	13,512		11.7	15,074	13.1	118,311	13,249		11.2	14,849	12.6
25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	31,444	3,071		9.8	3,455	11.0	32,360	3,041		9.4	3,449	10.7
35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	28,473	3,475		12.2	3,836	13.5	29,260	3,326		11.4	3,740	12.8
45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26,364	3,469		13.2	3,868	14.7	26,851	3,521		13.1	3,880	14.4
55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21,838	2,842		13.0	3,175	14.5	22,210	2,696		12.1	3,028	13.6
65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7,311	656		9.0	740	10.1	7,629	665		8.7	751	9.8
Men, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	68,711	7,582		11.0	8,432	12.3	70,739	7,523		10.6	8,416	11.9
16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	8,463	433		5.1	488		5.8	9,069	475		5.2	571	6.3
25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	60,249	7,149		11.9	7,944	13.2	61,670	7,047		11.4	7,845	12.7
25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16,648	1,662		10.0	1,865	11.2	17,145	1,713		10.0	1,916	11.2
35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	15,073	1,836		12.2	2,016	13.4	15,503	1,763		11.4	1,967	12.7
45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13,591	1,847		13.6	2,035	15.0	13,716	1,799		13.1	1,962	14.3
55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	11,125	1,473		13.2	1,649	14.8	11,290	1,417		12.6	1,595	14.1
65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3,812	331		8.7	379	10.0	4,015	355		8.8	405	10.1
Women, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	63,462	6,672		10.5	7,507	11.8	65,654	6,490		9.9	7,386	11.3
16 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	8,281	308		3.7	377		4.6	9,013	288		3.2	383	4.2
25 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	55,181	6,363		11.5	7,129	12.9	56,641	6,202		10.9	7,003	12.4
25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14,796	1,409		9.5	1,590	10.7	15,216	1,328		8.7	1,533	10.1
35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13,401	1,639		12.2	1,820	13.6	13,757	1,563		11.4	1,774	12.9
45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12,773	1,622		12.7	1,833	14.3	13,135	1,721		13.1	1,918	14.6
55 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10,713	1,370		12.8	1,526	14.2	10,919	1,279		11.7	1,433	13.1
65 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3,499	324		9.3	360	10.3	3,613	310		8.6	346	9.6
RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY,
AND SEX
White, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	102,142	10,944		10.7	12,221	12.0	104,921	10,774		10.3	12,142	11.6
Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	54,042	5,950		11.0	6,597	12.2	55,408	5,882		10.6	6,571	11.9
Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	48,100	4,994		10.4	5,624	11.7	49,513	4,892		9.9	5,572	11.3
Black or African American, 16 years and over. . . . . .	16,726	2,055		12.3	2,321	13.9	17,338	1,993		11.5	2,232	12.9
Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7,704	990		12.9	1,123	14.6	8,037	1,003		12.5	1,125	14.0
Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9,022	1,065		11.8	1,198	13.3	9,300	990		10.6	1,107	11.9
Asian, 16 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	8,573	766		8.9	855	10.0	9,119	706		7.7	818	9.0
Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4,551	375		8.2	421		9.3	4,749	337		7.1	389	8.2
Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4,021	392		9.7	434	10.8	4,369	368		8.4	429	9.8
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and over. . . .	23,562	2,315		9.8	2,586	11.0	24,738	2,221		9.0	2,551	10.3
Men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13,270	1,336		10.1	1,485	11.2	13,938	1,282		9.2	1,468	10.5
Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10,291	980		9.5	1,101	10.7	10,799	939		8.7	1,083	10.0
FULL- OR PART-TIME STATUS3
Full-time workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	110,387	12,987		11.8	14,486	13.1	114,316	12,654		11.1	14,275	12.5
Part-time workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21,616	1,247		5.8	1,430		6.6	21,877	1,336		6.1	1,502	6.9

• Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.

• Data refer to both union members and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.

• The distinction between full- and part-time workers is based on hours usually worked. These data will not sum to totals because full- or part-time status on the principal job is not identifiable for a small number of multiple jobholders.

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers are excluded, both those with incorporated businesses as well as those with unincorporated businesses. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.