Special Report

The States With the Strongest and Weakest Unions

Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins

Published: April 11, 2016 6:44 am

Last Updated: March 13, 2020 8:34 pm

The U.S. Supreme Court issued in March a split vote on a decision that, if passed, would have prevented public sector unions from requiring non-union government workers to pay union fees. This split represents a major victory for organized labor groups, which have been squeezed by changes in the labor force and anti-union legislation for decades. Just 45 years ago, nearly one in four workers were union members. Today, barely one in 10 are in a union.

The strength of organized labor in the United States depends largely on political and economic forces. Because these factors differ across the country, unions hold considerable power in some states and are virtually nonexistent in others. In New York, nearly 25% of state private and public sector workers are unionized, while in South Carolina, just 2.1% of workers are in unions.

There are many reasons for the differences in unionization between states. In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., David Macpherson, E.M. Stephens professor of economics and department chair at Trinity University, explained that politics is likely one of the biggest factors affecting the regional strength of organized labor. Over half of the states in the country now have right-to-work laws, with West Virginia’s statute passing this February. All of the states with the lowest shares of union membership have right to work laws, while Michigan is the only state with high membership which does.

Click here to see the states with the strongest unions

Click here to see the states with the weakest unions

“The reason unionization rates are low in right-to-work law states is because those are the states that don’t like unions and so they pass laws that are not favorable to unions.” Macpherson said.

Union membership is also at least partially determined by the industrial composition of a state. Macpherson explained that public sector jobs and manufacturing jobs tend to be more unionized, with transportation workers in particular very likely to be union members. Michigan’s substantial manufacturing sector, for example, is likely driving up unionization rates in the state.

The overall decline in union membership has been due to a massive decline in private sector organized labor. At the same time, public sector membership has actually increased. As a result, public sector workers account for nearly half of union membership nationwide, even as they only account for about 15% of the nation’s total workforce.

When asked about the long-term decline of unions, Macpherson explained there was no single reason, but that a number of likely factors have combined to reduce membership. “One of the reasons is the shifts in the labor force. It used to be about one in three workers were in the [typically heavily unionized] manufacturing sector. It’s not that way anymore.”

Unions came into being in this country to protect the rights and safety of workers, to negotiate with employers on behalf of employees, and to ensure fair pay and benefits. In time, they also supported political candidates that had their interests in mind. Macpherson explained that over the years, some of the roles unions have typically fulfilled have been replaced — often by the government, which has been enacting laws to protect workers. “For example, OSHA gives workers job safety protection that unions used to provide.” This change in roles has also contributed to the general decline of unions over the years. Today, labor laws and workplace restrictions provide many of the protections that unions were once able to fulfill.

Based on figures published by Unionstats.com, an online union membership and coverage database, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with the highest and lowest union membership as a percentage of total employment. The database, which analyzes Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Current Population Survey, provides labor force and union membership figures in both the public and private sectors, including manufacturing and construction. Additionally, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed annual average unemployment rates for each state from the BLS, as well as income and poverty data from the 2014 American Community Survey, produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. Rates of change were calculated over a 10-year period from 2005 through 2014.

Strongest Unions

10. Oregon
> Pct. of workers in unions: 14.8%
> Union workers: 234,577 (16th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 10.2% (13th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.8% (22nd highest)

Of Oregon’s 1.6 million workers, 14.8% are union members. Union membership declined in the majority of the most heavily-unionized states over the past decade, but this was not the case in Oregon, where membership increased by 10.2%. The outcome of a current ballot initiative may affect this figure in the near future. A Portland attorney has proposed a right-to-work initiative in the state, demanding that nonunion workers no longer be required to pay union fees. The initiative is slated to be voted on this November.

9. Michigan
> Pct. of workers in unions: 15.2%
> Union workers: 621,952 (5th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -29.3% (2nd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.8% (22nd highest)

Alongside the manufacturing sector decline over the past several decades in Michigan, union membership took a hit as well, down nearly 30% over the 10 years. Still, Michigan remains one of the nation’s strongholds for both manufacturing jobs and manufacturing unions. Of the state’s 815,800 private sector manufacturing workers, 18% are union members, the third highest proportion of any state. Michigan remains one of the largest auto manufacturing states in the country, and a large share of these workers are likely part of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The UAW has more than 400,000 members across the country.

8. Illinois
> Pct. of workers in unions: 15.2%
> Union workers: 846,984 (3rd highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -8.6% (17th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.4% (4th highest)

Illinois is home to one of the largest unionized workforces in the country, trailing only California and New York. Union workers comprise 15.2% of the state’s labor force. Though the state’s share of unionized workers is one of the highest in the country, it is a far cry from 1993, when 21.0% of the workforce was unionized, the largest share in Illinois’ history. Compared to 2005, there are roughly 80,000 fewer unionized workers in Illinois today. Despite the drop in the overall union membership, the number of unionized public sector employees actually increased from 370,464 in 2005 to 383,251 today. All of the decline was in the private sector.

7. New Jersey
> Pct. of workers in unions: 15.3%
> Union workers: 595,058 (7th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -24.8% (3rd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.3% (19th lowest)

The share of unionized workers in New Jersey has dropped by nearly 25% since 2005. Only Michigan and Wisconsin reported a larger decrease in their unionized workforce than New Jersey over the same time period. Workers in both the private and public sectors in New Jersey reported a decline in union membership. Despite lower union participation, the Garden State is still home to one of the largest cohorts of union workers in the United States. Slightly more than 15% of the state’s workers are union members. Last month, unionized NJ Transit workers threatened to strike and negotiated a 21% raise over the next nine years.

6. California
> Pct. of workers in unions: 15.9%
> Union workers: 2,486,173 (the highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 2.6% (18th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.5% (11th highest)

California has by far the largest unionized workforce in the country. There are close to 2.5 million union workers in the state, greater than the combined membership of 23 other states. While this is at least partially because California is the most populous state, it also has the sixth highest union membership rate — 15.9% of workers in the Golden State are active members of organized labor. Public sector workers are much more likely to be unionized than those in the private sector, and about 56% of the state’s workers are employed by governments are in unions. The state’s substantial unions were part of the effort to raise the minimum wage in California to $15 an hour. Governor Jerry Brown signed the wage hike bill last week.

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5. Washington
> Pct. of workers in unions: 16.8%
> Union workers: 499,779 (10th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -4.5% (23rd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.8% (9th highest)

Nearly half a million people in Washington are card-carrying union members. Over the last 10 years,union membership increased by roughly 20,000 in the private sector. Despite private sector gains, public sector union membership declined by 43,020, resulting in a net 4.5% drop in union membership across the state. Union participation peaked in Washington in 1993, when 23.8% of workers were union members. Aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing famously relocated its headquarters from Washington to Illinois in the early 2000s in a move many attribute to the company’s turbulent relationship with local unions.

4. Connecticut
> Pct. of workers in unions: 16.9%
> Union workers: 268,728 (15th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 8.9% (15th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.5% (11th highest)

Union membership on the national level is down by 5.7% over the past decade, and it has declined by more in many of the most unionized states. In Connecticut, however, the number of union members has actually increased by 8.9%. In the private sector, union membership rates are not especially high, as just 7.5% of the private sector workforce are in a union, higher than the national share of 6.7%. Among the state’s government employees, however, organized labor is much more prevalent. Nearly two-thirds of Connecticut’s public sector workers are union members, many of whom are currently threatening to wield their influence. The state, which is facing a budget crisis, is planning to lay off employees. One of the public sector unions, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), has released a media campaign opposing the layoffs and hosted a rally at the state capitol at the end of the month.

3. Alaska
> Pct. of workers in unions: 19.6%
> Union workers: 59,653 (12th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -4.7% (22nd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.6% (the highest)

Nearly one in every five workers in Alaska are card-carrying union members, the largest share of any state in the country after only Hawaii and New York. Many union jobs in Alaska are state jobs tied to the building of infrastructure. While only 11.2% of Alaska’s private sector workers are in a union, as many as 41.8% of public sector workers in the state are unionized. This proportion is particularly meaningful, as 27.4% of the state’s workforce is in the public sector, by far the largest share in the country. Roughly in line with the national trend, the state’s union membership declined by 4.7% over the past decade.

2. Hawaii
> Pct. of workers in unions: 20.3%
> Union workers: 118,572 (22nd lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -15.7% (11th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 3.1% (6th lowest)

Compared to a decade prior, Hawaii’s union membership is down by 15.7%, which is one of the largest membership declines in the country. Despite the decline, the state is still the second most unionized in the country. One in five state workers are members of an organized labor group. Half of all public sector workers in the state are union members, which is actually only the 11th highest share of all states. However, 12% of the state’s private sector workers are union members, the second highest share of private sector union members of all states. Union membership is particularly robust in Hawaii’s ample hospitality industry.

1. New York
> Pct. of workers in unions: 24.7%
> Union workers: 2,036,802 (2nd highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -2.5% (25th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.8% (22nd highest)

New York is home to more than 2 million union members, comprising nearly 25% of the state’s workforce. The vast majority of public sector workers — nearly 69% — are union members, the highest public sector union participation rate of any state in the county. As is universally the case, New York’s private sector is much larger than the public sector. As a result, even though only 15.9% of private sector workers in the state belong to an organized labor group, they comprise more than half of the state’s unionized workforce. In the most recent state budget, labor unions won big over some business interests by including a measure to increase minimum wage considerably over the coming years.

11. Virginia
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.4%
> Union workers: 201,931 (19th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 22.7% (5th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.1% (14th lowest)

Virginia is tied with three other states as having the lowest union representation in the country — just 5.4% of the state’s workforce are members of an organized labor group. Union membership in the state has actually risen quite substantially over the past decade. Union membership in the state increased from 164,580 workers in 2005 to more than 200,000 workers today, a 22.7% increase. Like all the states with low union membership, Virginia is a right-to-work law state, meaning non-union members are not required to pay union dues. Virginia was one of the first states to pass such a law, adopting the statute in January, 1947.

10. Tennessee
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.4%
> Union workers: 145,868 (25th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 13.9% (12th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.9% (19th highest)

Unions have been historically weak in Southern states, and Tennessee is no exception. Only 5.4% of state workers belong to organized labor groups, one of the smallest shares of all states. Unlike most states, however, unions in Tennessee have been gaining members and influence in recent years. Union participation went up by 13.9% over the last decade, in contrast with a nationwide 5.7% decline in organized labor participation. In 2014, after United Auto Workers failed to gain a foothold at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, workers organized a collective bargaining group known as the American Council of Employees in order to negotiate with the leadership at VW.

9. North Dakota
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.4%
> Union workers: 19,051 (2nd lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -9.3% (16th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 2.9% (3rd lowest)

Only Wyoming has fewer union workers than North Dakota, and that number is shrinking. There were roughly 21,000 union members in the state in 2005. Today, there are barely over 19,000 union workers in the state. While government employees only make up a small share of total U.S. employment, they are much more likely to be union members and so comprise nearly half of the country’s total organized labor force. In North Dakota, however, just 14.8% of state, federal, and local government employees are union members.

8. Mississippi
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.4%
> Union workers: 59,870 (13th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -22.4% (6th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.5% (2nd highest)

Mississippi’s private sector is more unionized than any of the 11 states with the lowest overall union membership — 4.4% of the state’s non-government workers are union members. In every other state on this list, private sector union membership is 3.5% or less. In the public sector, however, the state has nearly the lowest union representation of all states. Nationally, 35.2% of government workers are members of public sector unions, and 39% are covered by unions in some way. In Mississippi, just 9.4% of government workers are unionized, and just 11.5% are represented by unions, each the second lowest such share in the country. The size of organized labor in the state is also rapidly declining, down by 22.4% over the past decade.

7. Arizona
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.2%
> Union workers: 137,173 (25th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -5.2% (21st lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.5% (11th highest)

In Arizona, labor union participation declined by a net 5.2% across the public and private sectors between 2005 and 2015. During that 10 year period, however, union membership fluctuated from historic highs to lows. In 2007 and 2008, participation in organized labor averaged 8.8% of the workforce, more than in any other year in state history. By 2013, only 5.0% of wage and salaried workers in the state were union members, the smallest share in state history. Today, the 137,173 union members in Arizona represent 5.2% of the total workforce. Laws in Arizona make it especially difficult for workers to organize.

6. Arkansas
> Pct. of workers in unions: 5.1%
> Union workers: 58,542 (11th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 7.5% (16th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.2% (18th lowest)

Across the United States, labor union participation fell by 5.7% over the past decade. Over the same time period, participation in organized labor in Arkansas rose by 7.5%. Despite increasing numbers, a much smaller share of Arkansas’ workforce is unionized than is typical across the country. Only 5.1% of wage earners in Arkansas are part of a labor union, less than half the national participation rate of 11.1%. Arkansas is a right-to-work law state, meaning it is illegal for employment status at a particular company or agency to hinge on union membership.

5. Texas
> Pct. of workers in unions: 4.5%
> Union workers: 502,767 (9th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -0.7% (23rd highest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.4% (20th lowest)

Texas is home to more than half a million union members, more than the vast majority of other states. However, because Texas is one of the most populous states, union workers only comprise 4.5% of the workforce, a smaller share than in only a handful of other states. As is the case across the country, labor union membership is waning in Texas’ private sector. Among private companies, union membership dropped from 247,037 in 2005 to 240,757 as of 2015. Over the same time period, labor union participation among public sector employees went up by nearly 3,000 workers. Combined, this amounted to a 0.7% net loss of union workers in the state from 2005 to 2015.

4. Georgia
> Pct. of workers in unions: 4.0%
> Union workers: 161,720 (24th highest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -14.9% (12th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.4% (16th highest)

Overall, unions have taken a big hit in Georgia over the past 10 years. Across both public and private sector industries, the number of unionized workers in the Peach State fell by 14.9% from 2005 to 2015, one of the most precipitous drops in the country. Today, only 4.0% of Georgia’s workforce is in a union, a considerably smaller share than the corresponding 11.1% share of the national workforce. Recently, however, a bright spot for unions has emerged in the state. In 2008, legislators in Georgia created tax incentives to boost the film industry. The laws have been successful and many of the new jobs created by the burgeoning television and film industry are protected by unions.

3. Utah
> Pct. of workers in unions: 3.9%
> Union workers: 50,409 (9th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: -0.2% (21st highest)
> Unemployment rate: 3.4% (8th lowest)

Utah’s changing union membership composition is fairly unique. Bucking the national trend, private sector union membership in the state increased over the last 10 years, from 23,286 workers in 2005 to 24,769 workers today. Meanwhile, public sector union membership dropped from 27,225 to 25,639 over the same time period. In 1955, Utah passed right-to-work laws, joining a roster of 15 other states at the time. Today, top leaders in the state government believe right-to-work laws help make Utah more business friendly. Partially as the result of anti-union laws, only 3.9% of Utah’s workforce is in a labor union, one of the smallest shares in the country.

2. North Carolina
> Pct. of workers in unions: 3.0%
> Union workers: 123,126 (23rd lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 15.1% (7th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.5% (11th highest)

Nationwide, union membership declined by 5.7% over the past decade. In North Carolina, however, the size of the unionized labor force increased by 15.1% over that period, one of the larger increases in the country. Still, only one other state has less union representation than North Carolina. Just 3% of the state’s 4 million workers are union members compared to a national share of 11.1%. Less than 2% of North Carolina’s private sector workforce is unionized, while 6.7% of the country’s non-government workers are. Like many of the states with the weakest unions, North Carolina was one of the first states to enact a right to work law, which it did by statute in 1947.

1. South Carolina
> Pct. of workers in unions: 2.1%
> Union workers: 40,425 (6th lowest)
> 10-yr. change in union membership: 1.0% (19th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.5% (11th highest)

Only 2.1% of salary and wage workers in South Carolina are in a labor union, the smallest share of any state in the country. South Carolina is a manufacturing hub. BMW, Michelin, and Boeing all operate plants in the state. Recently, Gov. Nikki Haley announced her intentions to keep unions out of South Carolina, stating that corporations would not be welcome in her state if they bring a unionized workforce. Despite the governor’s intentions, union membership has increased slightly over the last decade. Union membership has gone up by 1.0% in the state since 2005, while nationwide membership waned by 5.7%.