January 30, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Union membership, 2011
Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers, select industries, 2011 annual average
| Industry |
Total employed |
Members of unions |
Union membership rate |
Local government |
10,621,000 |
4,586,000 |
43.2 |
State government |
6,261,000 |
1,973,000 |
31.5 |
Federal government |
3,568,000 |
1,004,000 |
28.1 |
Transportation and utilities |
5,239,000 |
1,108,000 |
21.1 |
Construction |
6,244,000 |
874,000 |
14.0 |
Manufacturing |
13,599,000 |
1,424,000 |
10.5 |
Information |
2,756,000 |
279,000 |
10.1 |
Education and health services |
19,855,000 |
1,715,000 |
8.6 |
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction |
780,000 |
56,000 |
7.2 |
Wholesale and retail trade |
18,002,000 |
859,000 |
4.8 |
Other services |
5,467,000 |
184,000 |
3.4 |
Leisure and hospitality |
11,355,000 |
305,000 |
2.7 |
Professional and business services |
12,171,000 |
250,000 |
2.1 |
Financial activities |
8,086,000 |
132,000 |
1.6 |
Agriculture and related industries |
1,183,000 |
16,000 |
1.4 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Union membership, 2011.
Union membership rates by state, 2011 annual averages
| State |
Union membership rate (percent of employed) |
Alabama |
10.0 |
Alaska |
22.1 |
Arizona |
6.0 |
Arkansas |
4.2 |
California |
17.1 |
Colorado |
8.2 |
Connecticut |
16.8 |
Delaware |
10.5 |
District of Columbia |
8.3 |
Florida |
6.3 |
Georgia |
3.9 |
Hawaii |
21.5 |
Idaho |
5.1 |
Illinois |
16.2 |
Indiana |
11.3 |
Iowa |
11.2 |
Kansas |
7.6 |
Kentucky |
8.9 |
Louisiana |
4.5 |
Maine |
11.3 |
Maryland |
12.4 |
Massachusetts |
14.6 |
Michigan |
17.5 |
Minnesota |
15.1 |
Mississippi |
5.0 |
Missouri |
10.9 |
Montana |
13.0 |
Nebraska |
7.9 |
Nevada |
14.6 |
New Hampshire |
11.1 |
New Jersey |
16.1 |
New Mexico |
6.8 |
New York |
24.1 |
North Carolina |
2.9 |
North Dakota |
6.3 |
Ohio |
13.4 |
Oklahoma |
6.4 |
Oregon |
17.1 |
Pennsylvania |
14.6 |
Rhode Island |
17.4 |
South Carolina |
3.4 |
South Dakota |
5.1 |
Tennessee |
4.6 |
Texas |
5.2 |
Utah |
5.8 |
Vermont |
12.0 |
Virginia |
4.6 |
Washington |
19.0 |
West Virginia |
13.8 |
Wisconsin |
13.3 |
Wyoming |
7.2 |
These data are featured in the TED article, Union membership, 2011.
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