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The union membership rate—the percentage of wage and salary workers who were members of unions—was 11.3 percent in 2013, the same as in 2012. Public-sector workers had a union membership rate of 35.3 percent in 2013. That was more than five times higher than the rate for private-sector workers, 6.7 percent.
Year | Total | Private sector | Public sector |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | 13.4 | 9.0 | 36.9 |
2001 | 13.3 | 8.9 | 36.8 |
2002 | 13.3 | 8.6 | 37.3 |
2003 | 12.9 | 8.2 | 37.2 |
2004 | 12.5 | 7.9 | 36.4 |
2005 | 12.5 | 7.8 | 36.5 |
2006 | 12.0 | 7.4 | 36.2 |
2007 | 12.1 | 7.5 | 35.9 |
2008 | 12.4 | 7.6 | 36.8 |
2009 | 12.3 | 7.2 | 37.4 |
2010 | 11.9 | 6.9 | 36.2 |
2011 | 11.8 | 6.9 | 37.0 |
2012 | 11.3 | 6.6 | 35.9 |
2013 | 11.3 | 6.7 | 35.3 |
Within the public sector, the union membership rate was highest in 2013 for local government workers, 40.8 percent. Local government includes employees in heavily unionized occupations, such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. The union membership rate in 2013 was 30.9 percent among state government workers and 26.5 percent among federal government workers.
In the private sector, industries with high unionization rates include utilities (25.6 percent), transportation and warehousing (19.6 percent), and construction (14.1 percent). Low unionization rates occurred in agriculture and related industries (1.0 percent), financial activities (2.0 percent), professional and business services (2.4 percent), and leisure and hospitality (2.7 percent).
Industry | Percent |
---|---|
Local government | 40.8 |
State government | 30.9 |
Federal government | 26.5 |
Utilities | 25.6 |
Transportation and warehousing | 19.6 |
Construction | 14.1 |
Educational services | 12.9 |
Manufacturing | 10.1 |
Information | 8.9 |
Health care and social assistance | 7.2 |
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 5.4 |
Wholesale trade | 5.0 |
Retail trade | 4.6 |
Other services | 3.0 |
Leisure and hospitality | 2.7 |
Professional and business services | 2.4 |
Financial activities | 2.0 |
Agriculture and related industries | 1.0 |
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see "Union Members — 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑0095. Historical data on union membership are available through an online table tool.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Union membership rate 11.3 percent in 2013, the same as in 2012 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140128.htm (visited October 31, 2024).