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).

Line chart of members of unions as a percent of employed in the United States and Indiana, 2014–2024. An accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Members of unions as a percent of employed in the United States and Indiana, 2014–24
Year	United States	Indiana
2014	11.1	10.7
2015	11.1	10.0
2016	10.7	10.4
2017	10.7	8.9
2018	10.5	8.8
2019	10.3	8.3
2020	10.8	8.3
2021	10.3	9.0
2022	10.1	7.4
2023	10.0	8.0
2024	9.9	9.0

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)
Year	Total employed	Members of unions (1)		Represented by unions (2)
Year	Total employed	Total	Percent of employed	Total	Percent of employed
2014	2,802	299	10.7	335	12.0
2015	2,828	283	10.0	319	11.3
2016	2,927	304	10.4	335	11.4
2017	2,987	266	8.9	289	9.7
2018	3,049	269	8.8	283	9.3
2019	3,007	249	8.3	296	9.8
2020	2,838	235	8.3	270	9.5
2021	2,844	256	9.0	290	10.2
2022	3,023	223	7.4	260	8.6
2023	3,054	245	8.0	278	9.1
2024	2,999	271	9.0	313	10.4
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)
State	2023					2024
	Total employed	Members of unions(1)		Represented by unions(2)		Total employed	Members of unions(1)		Represented by unions(2)
	Total employed	Total	Percent of employed	Total	Percent of employed	Total employed	Total	Percent of employed	Total	Percent of employed
Alabama	2,088	156	7.5	180	8.6	2,110	140	6.6	165	7.8
Alaska	307	45	14.8	47	15.2	300	53	17.7	58	19.5
Arizona	3,164	133	4.2	152	4.8	3,183	118	3.7	144	4.5
Arkansas	1,217	62	5.1	71	5.8	1,265	45	3.5	56	4.4
California	16,349	2,514	15.4	2,769	16.9	16,399	2,381	14.5	2,678	16.3
Colorado	2,730	189	6.9	235	8.6	2,671	206	7.7	214	8.0
Connecticut	1,610	255	15.9	272	16.9	1,634	269	16.5	291	17.8
Delaware	436	38	8.8	44	10.1	435	37	8.5	39	8.9
District of Columbia	347	32	9.1	36	10.4	362	38	10.6	42	11.7
Florida	9,453	442	4.7	578	6.1	9,086	462	5.1	569	6.3
Georgia	4,626	211	4.6	250	5.4	4,619	174	3.8	203	4.4
Hawaii	573	138	24.1	147	25.6	556	147	26.5	153	27.5
Idaho	810	37	4.5	44	5.5	850	43	5.0	50	5.9
Illinois	5,537	708	12.8	755	13.6	5,615	734	13.1	798	14.2
Indiana	3,054	245	8.0	278	9.1	2,999	271	9.0	313	10.4
Iowa	1,490	107	7.2	131	8.8	1,437	93	6.4	119	8.3
Kansas	1,360	120	8.9	144	10.6	1,309	83	6.3	105	8.0
Kentucky	1,719	152	8.8	194	11.3	1,761	156	8.8	197	11.2
Louisiana	1,765	76	4.3	91	5.2	1,741	69	3.9	86	5.0
Maine	566	52	9.2	61	10.8	585	77	13.1	89	15.3
Maryland	2,822	302	10.7	362	12.8	2,851	325	11.4	382	13.4
Massachusetts	3,267	412	12.6	443	13.6	3,397	496	14.6	531	15.6
Michigan	4,409	564	12.8	623	14.1	4,346	581	13.4	639	14.7
Minnesota	2,673	356	13.3	378	14.1	2,668	379	14.2	394	14.8
Mississippi	1,081	75	7.0	106	9.8	1,129	59	5.2	90	7.9
Missouri	2,734	255	9.3	286	10.4	2,734	234	8.6	255	9.3
Montana	470	56	11.8	61	13.0	474	56	11.9	62	13.1
Nebraska	940	68	7.3	88	9.4	913	62	6.8	74	8.1
Nevada	1,382	171	12.4	201	14.5	1,367	166	12.1	183	13.4
New Hampshire	668	62	9.3	73	10.9	678	62	9.2	72	10.6
New Jersey	4,211	679	16.1	729	17.3	4,197	682	16.2	730	17.4
New Mexico	805	60	7.5	73	9.1	834	63	7.5	73	8.8
New York	8,300	1,711	20.6	1,787	21.5	8,278	1,706	20.6	1,814	21.9
North Carolina	4,623	125	2.7	152	3.3	4,555	108	2.4	142	3.1
North Dakota	359	22	6.2	27	7.5	366	18	5.0	23	6.3
Ohio	5,108	641	12.5	691	13.5	5,147	621	12.1	685	13.3
Oklahoma	1,705	115	6.8	132	7.7	1,713	91	5.3	106	6.2
Oregon	1,808	255	14.1	270	15.0	1,835	292	15.9	321	17.5
Pennsylvania	5,786	749	12.9	822	14.2	5,706	666	11.7	708	12.4
Rhode Island	507	62	12.3	67	13.2	500	73	14.5	77	15.3
South Carolina	2,130	49	2.3	63	3.0	2,163	61	2.8	89	4.1
South Dakota	425	15	3.6	18	4.2	431	12	2.7	16	3.7
Tennessee	2,981	178	6.0	205	6.9	2,923	136	4.7	164	5.6
Texas	13,019	586	4.5	701	5.4	13,345	603	4.5	716	5.4
Utah	1,584	65	4.1	134	8.4	1,558	58	3.7	122	7.8
Vermont	301	43	14.3	46	15.4	297	42	14.3	47	15.8
Virginia	4,042	176	4.3	226	5.6	3,997	207	5.2	229	5.7
Washington	3,491	576	16.5	632	18.1	3,432	548	16.0	627	18.3
West Virginia	691	60	8.7	70	10.1	699	61	8.8	70	10.0
Wisconsin	2,761	205	7.4	232	8.4	2,819	180	6.4	196	6.9
Wyoming	256	14	5.6	17	6.6	249	14	5.6	17	6.7
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

Midwest Information Office

Union Members in Indiana — 2024

(U.S. rate = 9.9%)