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News Release Information

25-168-CHI
Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Union Members in Indiana — 2024

In 2024, union members accounted for 9.0 percent of wage and salary workers in Indiana, compared with 8.0 percent in 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the union membership rate for the state was at its peak in 1989, when it averaged 21.0 percent, and at its low point in 2022 at 7.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Nationwide, union members accounted for 9.9 percent of employed wage and salary workers in 2024, little changed from the previous year. Union membership rates in Indiana have been at or below the U.S. average since 2003 (comparable state data became available in 1989).


Indiana had 271,000 union members in 2024. In addition to these members, another 42,000 wage and salary workers in Indiana were represented by a union on their main job or covered by an employee association or contract while not union members themselves.

Table A. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers in Indiana, annual averages, 2014–2024 (numbers in thousands)
YearTotal employedMembers of unions (1)Represented by unions (2)
TotalPercent of employedTotalPercent of employed

2014

2,80229910.733512.0

2015

2,82828310.031911.3

2016

2,92730410.433511.4

2017

2,9872668.92899.7

2018

3,0492698.82839.3

2019

3,0072498.32969.8

2020

2,8382358.32709.5

2021

2,8442569.029010.2

2022

3,0232237.42608.6

2023

3,0542458.02789.1

2024

2,9992719.031310.4

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.

In 2024, 16.0 million wage and salary workers were represented by a union, little changed from 2023. Workers represented by a union include both union members (14.3 million) and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union contract (1.8 million).

In 2024, 30 states had union membership rates below the U.S. average (9.9 percent), while 20 states and the District of Columbia had rates above it. (See table 1.) Ten states had union membership rates below 5.0 percent in 2024. North Carolina had the lowest rate (2.4 percent). The next lowest rates were in South Dakota (2.7 percent) and South Carolina (2.8 percent). Two states had union membership rates over 20.0 percent in 2024: Hawaii (26.5 percent) and New York (20.6 percent). (See map 1.)

Map 1. Union membership rates by state, 2024 annual averages

(U.S. rate = 9.9%)

 

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 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.

This release preserves the long-time practice of highlighting the state union membership rates and levels regardless of their statistical significance. More information is available in the Union Members Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by state, 2023-2024 annual averages (numbers in thousands)
State20232024
Total
employed
Members of unions(1)Represented by
unions(2)
Total
employed
Members of unions(1)Represented by
unions(2)
TotalPercent
of
employed
TotalPercent
of
employed
TotalPercent
of
employed
TotalPercent
of
employed

Alabama

2,0881567.51808.62,1101406.61657.8

Alaska

3074514.84715.23005317.75819.5

Arizona

3,1641334.21524.83,1831183.71444.5

Arkansas

1,217625.1715.81,265453.5564.4

California

16,3492,51415.42,76916.916,3992,38114.52,67816.3

Colorado

2,7301896.92358.62,6712067.72148.0

Connecticut

1,61025515.927216.91,63426916.529117.8

Delaware

436388.84410.1435378.5398.9

District of Columbia

347329.13610.43623810.64211.7

Florida

9,4534424.75786.19,0864625.15696.3

Georgia

4,6262114.62505.44,6191743.82034.4

Hawaii

57313824.114725.655614726.515327.5

Idaho

810374.5445.5850435.0505.9

Illinois

5,53770812.875513.65,61573413.179814.2

Indiana

3,0542458.02789.12,9992719.031310.4

Iowa

1,4901077.21318.81,437936.41198.3

Kansas

1,3601208.914410.61,309836.31058.0

Kentucky

1,7191528.819411.31,7611568.819711.2

Louisiana

1,765764.3915.21,741693.9865.0

Maine

566529.26110.85857713.18915.3

Maryland

2,82230210.736212.82,85132511.438213.4

Massachusetts

3,26741212.644313.63,39749614.653115.6

Michigan

4,40956412.862314.14,34658113.463914.7

Minnesota

2,67335613.337814.12,66837914.239414.8

Mississippi

1,081757.01069.81,129595.2907.9

Missouri

2,7342559.328610.42,7342348.62559.3

Montana

4705611.86113.04745611.96213.1

Nebraska

940687.3889.4913626.8748.1

Nevada

1,38217112.420114.51,36716612.118313.4

New Hampshire

668629.37310.9678629.27210.6

New Jersey

4,21167916.172917.34,19768216.273017.4

New Mexico

805607.5739.1834637.5738.8

New York

8,3001,71120.61,78721.58,2781,70620.61,81421.9

North Carolina

4,6231252.71523.34,5551082.41423.1

North Dakota

359226.2277.5366185.0236.3

Ohio

5,10864112.569113.55,14762112.168513.3

Oklahoma

1,7051156.81327.71,713915.31066.2

Oregon

1,80825514.127015.01,83529215.932117.5

Pennsylvania

5,78674912.982214.25,70666611.770812.4

Rhode Island

5076212.36713.25007314.57715.3

South Carolina

2,130492.3633.02,163612.8894.1

South Dakota

425153.6184.2431122.7163.7

Tennessee

2,9811786.02056.92,9231364.71645.6

Texas

13,0195864.57015.413,3456034.57165.4

Utah

1,584654.11348.41,558583.71227.8

Vermont

3014314.34615.42974214.34715.8

Virginia

4,0421764.32265.63,9972075.22295.7

Washington

3,49157616.563218.13,43254816.062718.3

West Virginia

691608.77010.1699618.87010.0

Wisconsin

2,7612057.42328.42,8191806.41966.9

Wyoming

256145.6176.6249145.6176.7

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: Wednesday, February 19, 2025