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Economic News Release
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Union Membership (Annual) News Release

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

Technical information:	(202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact:		(202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                                       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--the union 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.

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

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.										|
|_______________________________________________________________________________________________|




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
www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.

   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon
request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

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

   Part-time workers. 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]
Characteristic 2020 2021
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
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 STATUS(3)

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

Footnotes
(1) Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.


Table 2. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation and selected characteristics, 2020-2021 annual averages
Characteristic 2020 2021
Total Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Non-
union(3)
Total Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Non-
union(3)

AGE AND SEX

Total, 16 years and over

$984 $1,144 $1,138 $958 $998 $1,169 $1,158 $975

16 to 24 years

606 717 711 601 623 757 744 617

25 years and over

1,029 1,160 1,155 1,007 1,057 1,192 1,180 1,030

25 to 34 years

904 1,008 1,003 888 931 1,049 1,038 916

35 to 44 years

1,106 1,241 1,232 1,073 1,131 1,264 1,252 1,107

45 to 54 years

1,129 1,243 1,234 1,102 1,154 1,266 1,257 1,136

55 to 64 years

1,096 1,167 1,168 1,072 1,132 1,224 1,224 1,111

65 years and over

999 1,112 1,097 987 994 1,083 1,093 980

Men, 16 years and over

1,082 1,216 1,210 1,051 1,097 1,227 1,217 1,069

16 to 24 years

622 723 724 615 650 771 750 640

25 years and over

1,144 1,240 1,234 1,129 1,160 1,253 1,245 1,146

25 to 34 years

952 1,072 1,070 934 972 1,105 1,093 959

35 to 44 years

1,205 1,344 1,337 1,178 1,241 1,363 1,354 1,221

45 to 54 years

1,260 1,325 1,320 1,248 1,295 1,339 1,337 1,281

55 to 64 years

1,228 1,250 1,250 1,222 1,256 1,268 1,265 1,254

65 years and over

1,115 1,140 1,117 1,114 1,129 1,148 1,150 1,124

Women, 16 years and over

891 1,067 1,057 862 912 1,104 1,086 884

16 to 24 years

589 711 698 583 605 745 739 599

25 years and over

929 1,082 1,074 905 954 1,126 1,115 930

25 to 34 years

852 957 949 836 881 1,008 1,003 862

35 to 44 years

978 1,140 1,135 945 992 1,168 1,151 967

45 to 54 years

977 1,151 1,139 947 1,012 1,180 1,162 981

55 to 64 years

955 1,079 1,082 931 976 1,157 1,164 953

65 years and over

897 1,086 1,078 877 867 1,012 1,016 846

RACE, HISPANIC OR LATINO ETHNICITY,
AND SEX

White, 16 years and over

1,003 1,165 1,157 978 1,018 1,199 1,182 996

Men

1,110 1,243 1,237 1,080 1,125 1,257 1,248 1,097

Women

905 1,085 1,070 877 925 1,121 1,101 899

Black or African American, 16 years and over

794 965 971 766 801 998 987 775

Men

830 1,020 1,022 798 825 1,006 992 802

Women

764 917 923 742 776 988 980 752

Asian, 16 years and over

1,310 1,240 1,247 1,326 1,328 1,267 1,256 1,334

Men

1,447 1,247 1,237 1,477 1,453 1,307 1,326 1,459

Women

1,143 1,233 1,256 1,124 1,141 1,248 1,218 1,132

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 16 years and over

758 1,016 1,011 730 777 1,032 1,001 755

Men

797 1,076 1,064 770 820 1,091 1,048 799

Women

705 955 947 684 718 949 924 699

Footnotes
(1) Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
(2) 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.
(3) Data refer to workers who are neither members of a union nor represented by a union on their job.

NOTE: Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full-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.


Table 3. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by occupation and industry, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
Occupation and industry 2020 2021
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed

OCCUPATION

Management, professional, and related occupations

55,873 6,311 11.3 7,265 13.0 56,870 6,241 11.0 7,177 12.6

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

22,134 962 4.3 1,194 5.4 22,850 1,021 4.5 1,244 5.4

Management occupations

14,350 611 4.3 761 5.3 14,730 645 4.4 786 5.3

Business and financial operations occupations

7,785 351 4.5 433 5.6 8,120 376 4.6 458 5.6

Professional and related occupations

33,738 5,349 15.9 6,070 18.0 34,020 5,220 15.3 5,933 17.4

Computer and mathematical occupations

5,312 202 3.8 269 5.1 5,465 202 3.7 260 4.8

Architecture and engineering occupations

3,039 190 6.2 229 7.5 3,083 181 5.9 215 7.0

Life, physical, and social science occupations

1,539 148 9.6 185 12.0 1,535 153 10.0 190 12.4

Community and social service occupations

2,576 402 15.6 452 17.5 2,630 384 14.6 426 16.2

Legal occupations

1,526 105 6.9 121 7.9 1,518 89 5.8 103 6.8

Education, training, and library occupations

8,639 3,104 35.9 3,440 39.8 8,672 3,004 34.6 3,353 38.7

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

2,103 131 6.2 151 7.2 2,113 149 7.1 170 8.1

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

9,004 1,069 11.9 1,224 13.6 9,005 1,057 11.7 1,217 13.5

Service occupations

20,486 2,170 10.6 2,404 11.7 21,708 2,094 9.6 2,314 10.7

Healthcare support occupations

4,641 373 8.0 434 9.4 4,644 384 8.3 438 9.4

Protective service occupations

3,006 1,101 36.6 1,165 38.8 2,917 970 33.3 1,036 35.5

Food preparation and serving related occupations

6,429 219 3.4 268 4.2 7,178 222 3.1 254 3.5

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

4,104 394 9.6 435 10.6 4,458 420 9.4 472 10.6

Personal care and service occupations

2,306 82 3.6 102 4.4 2,511 97 3.9 113 4.5

Sales and office occupations

27,111 1,733 6.4 1,937 7.1 27,651 1,702 6.2 1,991 7.2

Sales and related occupations

12,117 387 3.2 441 3.6 12,366 406 3.3 491 4.0

Office and administrative support occupations

14,994 1,346 9.0 1,496 10.0 15,285 1,296 8.5 1,500 9.8

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

11,433 1,750 15.3 1,871 16.4 11,911 1,777 14.9 1,923 16.1

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

926 24 2.6 27 2.9 931 37 4.0 43 4.7

Construction and extraction occupations

6,243 1,105 17.7 1,167 18.7 6,528 1,119 17.1 1,198 18.4

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4,264 620 14.5 676 15.8 4,451 621 14.0 681 15.3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

17,270 2,290 13.3 2,463 14.3 18,253 2,198 12.0 2,398 13.1

Production occupations

7,324 870 11.9 943 12.9 7,647 827 10.8 912 11.9

Transportation and material moving occupations

9,946 1,420 14.3 1,520 15.3 10,605 1,371 12.9 1,486 14.0

INDUSTRY

Private sector

111,542 7,080 6.3 8,018 7.2 115,767 7,030 6.1 8,055 7.0

Agriculture and related industries

1,281 21 1.7 25 1.9 1,308 37 2.9 41 3.1

Nonagricultural industries

110,260 7,059 6.4 7,994 7.3 114,459 6,993 6.1 8,014 7.0

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

656 37 5.6 43 6.6 561 32 5.7 34 6.0

Construction

7,829 993 12.7 1,050 13.4 8,157 1,024 12.6 1,112 13.6

Manufacturing

13,887 1,181 8.5 1,289 9.3 14,134 1,082 7.7 1,203 8.5

Durable goods

8,705 754 8.7 821 9.4 8,986 668 7.4 749 8.3

Nondurable goods

5,182 427 8.2 468 9.0 5,148 414 8.0 453 8.8

Wholesale and retail trade

17,407 787 4.5 874 5.0 18,070 769 4.3 880 4.9

Wholesale trade

3,116 133 4.3 146 4.7 3,117 116 3.7 140 4.5

Retail trade

14,292 655 4.6 728 5.1 14,953 653 4.4 740 5.0

Transportation and utilities

6,441 1,135 17.6 1,213 18.8 7,057 1,086 15.4 1,183 16.8

Transportation and warehousing

5,377 916 17.0 979 18.2 6,055 889 14.7 974 16.1

Utilities

1,064 219 20.6 234 22.0 1,002 197 19.7 209 20.9

Information(3)

2,160 200 9.3 222 10.3 2,274 226 10.0 253 11.1

Publishing, except Internet

338 8 2.4 9 2.6 311 17 5.6 22 7.2

Motion pictures and sound recording industries

285 40 14.0 43 15.1 352 61 17.3 64 18.3

Broadcasting (except internet)

398 30 7.6 35 8.7 368 33 8.9 39 10.7

Telecommunications

778 111 14.3 122 15.7 843 100 11.9 109 13.0

Financial activities

9,107 169 1.9 244 2.7 9,101 206 2.3 278 3.1

Finance and insurance

6,977 96 1.4 152 2.2 6,896 91 1.3 135 2.0

Finance

4,492 53 1.2 92 2.0 4,387 53 1.2 77 1.8

Insurance

2,484 43 1.7 60 2.4 2,510 38 1.5 58 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing

2,131 74 3.5 93 4.3 2,205 114 5.2 143 6.5

Professional and business services

14,938 323 2.2 442 3.0 15,374 334 2.2 451 2.9

Professional and technical services

10,153 132 1.3 208 2.1 10,506 128 1.2 204 1.9

Management, administrative, and waste services

4,785 191 4.0 233 4.9 4,868 206 4.2 247 5.1

Education and health services

22,365 1,876 8.4 2,174 9.7 22,891 1,807 7.9 2,109 9.2

Educational services

4,507 607 13.5 697 15.5 4,694 607 12.9 712 15.2

Health care and social assistance

17,858 1,269 7.1 1,478 8.3 18,197 1,200 6.6 1,397 7.7

Leisure and hospitality

10,127 223 2.2 280 2.8 11,208 252 2.2 304 2.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

1,810 86 4.8 106 5.9 2,004 96 4.8 111 5.5

Accommodation and food services

8,317 137 1.6 174 2.1 9,203 156 1.7 192 2.1

Accommodation

916 52 5.7 59 6.5 979 58 5.9 63 6.4

Food services and drinking places

7,401 85 1.2 114 1.5 8,225 98 1.2 129 1.6

Other services(3)

5,344 134 2.5 162 3.0 5,632 176 3.1 208 3.7

Other services, except private households

4,669 130 2.8 159 3.4 4,987 158 3.2 190 3.8

Public sector

20,632 7,173 34.8 7,921 38.4 20,626 6,982 33.9 7,747 37.6

Federal government

3,892 1,014 26.0 1,167 30.0 3,820 951 24.9 1,108 29.0

State government

6,980 2,085 29.9 2,350 33.7 6,866 2,033 29.6 2,273 33.1

Local government

9,760 4,074 41.7 4,404 45.1 9,940 3,999 40.2 4,367 43.9

Footnotes
(1) Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
(2) 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.
(3) Includes other industries, not shown separately.

NOTE: Data refer to the sole or principal job of full-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. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years. Effective with January 2020 data, industries reflect the introduction of the 2017 Census industry classification system, derived from the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). No historical data have been revised.


Table 4. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation, occupation, and industry, 2020-2021 annual averages
Occupation and industry 2020 2021
Total Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Non-
union(3)
Total Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Non-
union(3)

OCCUPATION

Management, professional, and related occupations

$1,356 $1,313 $1,294 $1,366 $1,390 $1,360 $1,345 $1,400

Management, business, and financial operations occupations

1,461 1,386 1,378 1,468 1,482 1,450 1,430 1,487

Management occupations

1,541 1,445 1,440 1,546 1,546 1,545 1,535 1,547

Business and financial operations occupations

1,363 1,253 1,254 1,369 1,382 1,301 1,267 1,391

Professional and related occupations

1,270 1,294 1,271 1,269 1,335 1,346 1,330 1,337

Computer and mathematical occupations

1,633 1,461 1,424 1,649 1,660 1,463 1,474 1,673

Architecture and engineering occupations

1,575 1,723 1,652 1,568 1,641 1,770 1,745 1,633

Life, physical, and social science occupations

1,336 1,378 1,417 1,327 1,407 1,336 1,348 1,416

Community and social service occupations

1,003 1,166 1,148 966 1,065 1,342 1,333 1,010

Legal occupations

1,540 1,464 1,515 1,541 1,586 1,728 1,591 1,586

Education, training, and library occupations

1,096 1,244 1,224 982 1,138 1,273 1,256 1,025

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

1,179 1,349 1,341 1,169 1,229 1,434 1,532 1,215

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

1,227 1,376 1,381 1,200 1,273 1,402 1,389 1,259

Service occupations

621 931 911 599 644 929 909 619

Healthcare support occupations

606 689 682 600 637 705 711 629

Protective service occupations

982 1,263 1,258 806 998 1,278 1,263 846

Food preparation and serving related occupations

530 613 607 524 573 652 645 570

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

603 709 711 589 623 732 731 612

Personal care and service occupations

616 710 617 616 618 622 687 617

Sales and office occupations

809 947 944 797 826 933 929 817

Sales and related occupations

880 860 897 879 887 808 839 890

Office and administrative support occupations

781 965 956 764 806 961 951 791

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

905 1,227 1,215 844 919 1,262 1,237 872

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

589 - - 583 623 - - 615

Construction and extraction occupations

906 1,237 1,221 830 904 1,262 1,227 837

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

984 1,235 1,219 933 1,017 1,287 1,273 983

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

746 954 938 720 774 968 954 746

Production occupations

775 923 911 753 809 957 944 789

Transportation and material moving occupations

719 979 967 691 738 976 961 713

INDUSTRY

Private sector

959 1,089 1,084 948 973 1,098 1,080 965

Agriculture and related industries

640 - - 638 675 - - 673

Nonagricultural industries

964 1,090 1,086 954 978 1,100 1,082 969

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

1,444 - - 1,449 1,317 - - 1,315

Construction

961 1,254 1,234 920 966 1,344 1,322 922

Manufacturing

1,008 1,016 1,012 1,008 1,033 1,016 1,015 1,036

Durable goods

1,049 1,076 1,081 1,043 1,061 1,041 1,051 1,062

Nondurable goods

946 914 900 953 995 981 976 998

Wholesale and retail trade

768 791 780 768 790 776 773 791

Wholesale trade

980 1,116 1,062 973 1,003 910 876 1,014

Retail trade

721 731 728 721 744 763 766 742

Transportation and utilities

963 1,215 1,197 912 973 1,199 1,170 934

Transportation and warehousing

893 1,138 1,117 849 914 1,147 1,120 883

Utilities

1,405 1,533 1,535 1,343 1,390 1,482 1,425 1,369

Information(4)

1,356 1,403 1,390 1,348 1,378 1,568 1,527 1,370

Publishing, except Internet

1,431 - - 1,439 1,271 - - 1,332

Motion pictures and sound recording industries

1,149 - - 1,053 1,325 1,884 1,885 1,230

Broadcasting (except internet)

1,118 - - 1,077 1,213 - - 1,199

Telecommunications

1,321 1,388 1,350 1,306 1,367 1,302 1,297 1,374

Financial activities

1,187 1,012 1,112 1,194 1,233 1,017 1,019 1,239

Finance and insurance

1,266 1,003 1,125 1,270 1,317 1,012 1,037 1,328

Finance

1,337 1,108 1,138 1,340 1,367 1,022 1,072 1,372

Insurance

1,171 - 1,077 1,173 1,209 - 1,003 1,222

Real estate and rental and leasing

1,001 1,081 1,105 999 1,000 1,027 995 1,001

Professional and business services

1,220 960 993 1,228 1,241 1,023 1,017 1,249

Professional and technical services

1,487 1,394 1,362 1,492 1,515 1,527 1,365 1,518

Management, administrative, and waste services

$726 $781 $770 $724 $742 $766 $767 $740

Education and health services

968 1,129 1,130 949 982 1,140 1,134 966

Educational services

1,059 1,171 1,166 1,026 1,110 1,143 1,133 1,105

Health care and social assistance

937 1,079 1,094 923 953 1,139 1,134 939

Leisure and hospitality

624 741 772 620 650 752 756 645

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

849 850 892 845 824 904 864 818

Accommodation and food services

592 723 723 589 618 725 735 615

Accommodation

671 - 813 643 691 735 752 683

Food services and drinking places

582 690 660 580 609 709 725 607

Other services(4)

823 1,174 1,143 812 858 1,200 1,166 847

Other services, except private households

852 1,178 1,148 838 894 1,258 1,206 885

Public sector

1,100 1,186 1,173 1,022 1,133 1,237 1,229 1,055

Federal government

1,326 1,223 1,226 1,374 1,319 1,209 1,219 1,372

State government

1,051 1,157 1,151 979 1,088 1,231 1,224 1,007

Local government

1,054 1,196 1,174 939 1,102 1,246 1,235 969

Footnotes
(1) Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
(2) 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.
(3) Data refer to workers who are neither members of a union nor represented by a union on their job.
(4) Includes other industries, not shown separately.

NOTE: Data refer to the sole or principal job of full-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. Effective with January 2020 data, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system, derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years. Effective with January 2020 data, industries reflect the introduction of the 2017 Census industry classification system, derived from the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). No historical data have been revised. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 50,000).


Table 5. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by state, 2020-2021 annual averages [Numbers in thousands]
State 2020 2021
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total
employed
Members
of
unions(1)
Represented
by unions(2)
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed
Total Percent
of
employed

Alabama

1,896 151 8.0 164 8.7 1,938 115 5.9 133 6.9

Alaska

280 49 17.7 55 19.5 293 46 15.8 50 17.2

Arizona

2,909 155 5.3 207 7.1 3,116 167 5.4 208 6.7

Arkansas

1,158 55 4.7 69 5.9 1,167 46 3.9 51 4.4

California

15,069 2,441 16.2 2,655 17.6 15,497 2,468 15.9 2,757 17.8

Colorado

2,470 182 7.4 202 8.2 2,538 165 6.5 192 7.5

Connecticut

1,533 262 17.1 282 18.4 1,524 223 14.6 248 16.3

Delaware

424 41 9.7 44 10.3 435 42 9.7 44 10.2

District of Columbia

343 30 8.6 33 9.5 350 31 8.9 35 9.9

Florida

8,155 524 6.4 644 7.9 8,667 448 5.2 529 6.1

Georgia

4,173 194 4.6 271 6.5 4,404 211 4.8 256 5.8

Hawaii

508 120 23.7 130 25.7 541 121 22.4 131 24.1

Idaho

732 41 5.6 47 6.4 767 36 4.7 42 5.5

Illinois

5,178 739 14.3 788 15.2 5,397 752 13.9 818 15.2

Indiana

2,838 235 8.3 270 9.5 2,844 256 9.0 290 10.2

Iowa

1,401 93 6.6 128 9.1 1,428 93 6.5 118 8.3

Kansas

1,282 114 8.9 144 11.2 1,300 120 9.2 148 11.4

Kentucky

1,694 127 7.5 160 9.4 1,740 126 7.2 170 9.8

Louisiana

1,682 99 5.9 113 6.7 1,722 81 4.7 98 5.7

Maine

559 82 14.7 93 16.7 563 70 12.4 83 14.7

Maryland

2,690 351 13.1 380 14.1 2,689 295 11.0 332 12.3

Massachusetts

2,982 357 12.0 383 12.8 3,181 402 12.6 433 13.6

Michigan

3,974 604 15.2 661 16.6 4,047 540 13.3 620 15.3

Minnesota

2,515 398 15.8 427 17.0 2,608 416 16.0 446 17.1

Mississippi

1,034 74 7.1 86 8.3 1,080 59 5.5 74 6.9

Missouri

2,525 238 9.4 254 10.1 2,615 235 9.0 266 10.2

Montana

419 50 12.0 54 13.0 438 49 11.2 56 12.9

Nebraska

890 85 9.6 94 10.5 896 61 6.8 72 8.0

Nevada

1,208 161 13.4 186 15.4 1,249 153 12.2 176 14.1

New Hampshire

629 62 9.8 70 11.1 643 65 10.1 73 11.3

New Jersey

3,719 600 16.1 660 17.8 3,762 608 16.2 672 17.9

New Mexico

743 53 7.1 64 8.6 770 58 7.5 70 9.1

New York

7,552 1,661 22.0 1,784 23.6 7,770 1,729 22.2 1,869 24.1

North Carolina

4,128 129 3.1 161 3.9 4,225 108 2.6 142 3.4

North Dakota

338 21 6.2 25 7.4 349 19 5.4 24 6.9

Ohio

4,815 637 13.2 686 14.2 4,966 596 12.0 647 13.0

Oklahoma

1,501 90 6.0 114 7.6 1,546 87 5.6 105 6.8

Oregon

1,694 275 16.2 293 17.3 1,784 318 17.8 336 18.8

Pennsylvania

5,307 717 13.5 775 14.6 5,380 693 12.9 732 13.6

Rhode Island

455 81 17.8 87 19.1 474 75 15.7 83 17.4

South Carolina

2,036 59 2.9 77 3.8 2,070 34 1.7 42 2.0

South Dakota

385 17 4.3 21 5.5 393 16 4.0 20 5.0

Tennessee

2,678 117 4.4 137 5.1 2,820 145 5.2 166 5.9

Texas

11,607 563 4.9 693 6.0 12,057 454 3.8 571 4.7

Utah

1,403 51 3.7 75 5.4 1,465 51 3.5 96 6.5

Vermont

265 31 11.8 36 13.8 262 32 12.3 37 14.2

Virginia

3,703 164 4.4 201 5.4 3,685 176 4.8 240 6.5

Washington

3,201 557 17.4 596 18.6 3,308 629 19.0 661 20.0

West Virginia

666 71 10.7 75 11.3 693 66 9.6 73 10.5

Wisconsin

2,592 227 8.7 264 10.2 2,705 215 7.9 251 9.3

Wyoming

240 18 7.6 22 9.3 234 13 5.7 16 6.9

Footnotes
(1) Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
(2) 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.

NOTE: 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.


Last Modified Date: January 20, 2022