Union Members in 2009Jim Walker

EconomistBureau of Labor Statistics

January 29, 2010

About union membership data Data on union membership are collected as part of the Current

Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over.

Only employed wage and salary workers are included in the union membership data. Excluded are the self-employed, unpaid family workers, unemployed persons, and individuals out of the labor force (such as those who are retired).

Union members who are temporarily absent from work because of strikes are included in the data.

Dues-paying union members who are unemployed or out of the labor force (such as those who are retired) are excluded from the CPS union statistics.

The union membership rate is the proportion of wage and salary workers who are members of a union or an employee association similar to a union.

Union questions in the CPS

On this job, (are/is) (name/you) a member of a labor union or of an employee association similar to a union? 1 Yes 2 No

On this job, (are/is) (name/you) covered by a union or employee association contract? 1 Yes 2 No

3

Chart 1. The union membership rate 1983 through 2009.

0

5

10

15

20

25

1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

Note: The union membership rate is the proportion of wage and salary workers that are members of a union or an employee association similar to a union. Self-employed and unpaid family workers are not included.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), annual averages.

Union membership rate

20.1 percent

12.3 percent

12.0 percent in 2006

Chart 2. The private sector has a lower union membership rate than the public sector.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

Note: Prior to 2000, private sector data refer to the nonagricultural private sector.

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), annual averages.

Union membership rate

Private-sector union membership rate

Public-sector union membership rate

7.2 percent

37.4 percent36.7 percent

16.8 percent

Chart 3. In 2009, there were more public sector union members than private sector union members.

Note: Prior to 2000, private sector data refer to the nonagricultural private sector.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), annual averages.

Number of union members

Private-sector union members

Public-sector union members

7.9 million public

7.4 million private

Chart 4. Union membership rates vary by industry.

1.11.82.32.93.15.3

8.88.61010.9

14.522.2

2832.4

43.3

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Agriculture and related industriesFinancial activities

Professional and business servicesOther services

Leisure and hospitalityWholesale and retail trade

Education and health servicesMining

InformationManufacturing

ConstructionTransportation and utilities

Federal governmentState governmentLocal government

Union membership rateNote: Education and health services includes private education. Public education is included in the public sector.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

Private Sector

PublicSector

Chart 5. Union membership rates differ by occupation.

2.83.14.44.87.81010.311.3

14.816.418.218.721.1

35.6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Sales and related

Food preparation and serving related

Management, business, and financial operations

Personal care and service

Healthcare support

Office and administrative support

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

Production

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Transportation and material moving

Professional and related

Construction and extraction

Protective service

Union membership rateSource: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

Chart 6. Wage and salary workers age 55 to 64 years had the highest union membership rate in 2009.

9.4

16.6

15.7

13.1

10.5

4.7

0 5 10 15 20

65 years and over

55 to 64 years

45 to 54 years

35 to 44 years

25 to 34 years

16 to 24 years

Union membership rateSource: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

Chart 7. The union membership rate for men is higher than for women, but the gap has been narrowing.

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), annual averages.

Union membership rate

Women

Men

13.3 percent

11.3 percent

24.7 percent

14.6 percent

Chart 8. The decline in the union membership rate varies by race and Hispanic ethnicity.

19.3

21.1

27.2

12.1

10.2

13.9

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Whites

Hispanics

Blacks

1983

2009

Union membership rateNote: The union membership rate of Asians is only available since 2003; the rate was 11.4 percent in 2009. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 1983 and 2009 annual averages.

Chart 9. Only four states had union membership rates above 20 percent in 2009.

(U.S. rate = 12.3 percent)

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

WASH.

ORE.

NEV.

CALIF.

IDAHO

MONT.

WYO.

UTAH

COLO.

N.D.

S.D.

NEB.

KAN.

ARIZ.

N.M.

TEXAS

OKLA.ARK.

LA.

MISS.

TENN.

MO.

ILL.

MINN.

IOWA

WIS.

MICH.

IND. OHIO

KY.

N.Y.

PA.

W.VA.VA.

N.C.

S.C.

GA.

FLA.

ALA.

VT.

N.H.

MAINE

#

MASS.

#

CONN.

# N.J.

# DEL.#

MD.

#

R.I.

D.C.

WestNorth CentralMountain

EastNorth Central

MiddleAtlantic

New England

SouthAtlantic

EastSouth Central

WestSouth Central

Pacific

WASH.

ORE.

NEV.

CALIF.

IDAHO

MONT.

WYO.

UTAH

COLO.

N.D.

S.D.

NEB.

KAN.

ARIZ.

N.M.

TEXAS

OKLA.ARK.

LA.

MISS.

TENN.

MO.

ILL.

MINN.

IOWA

WIS.

MICH.

IND. OHIO

KY.

N.Y.

PA.

W.VA.VA.

N.C.

S.C.

GA.

FLA.

ALA.

VT.

N.H.

MAINE

#

MASS.

#

CONN.

# N.J.

# DEL.#

MD.

20.0% or more

15.0% - 19.9%

10.0% - 14.9%

5.0% - 9.9%

4.9% or lessHAWAII

ALASKA

Chart 10. Among full-time workers, union members have higher weekly earnings than nonunion workers.

Note: Earnings are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers and have been converted to constant dollars using the Consumer Price Index research series (CPI-U-RS). Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), annual averages.

Nonunion workers

Union members

Constant 2009 dollars$908

$710

$793

$589

Chart 11. Among full-time employees, both men and women who were union members had higher weekly earnings than their nonunion counterparts in 2009.

$628

$840

$786

$957

$0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900 $1,000

Note: Earnings are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

Men, union

Men, nonunion

Women, union

Women, nonunion

Chart 12. Among full-time employees of the same race or ethnicity, most union members earned more than their nonunion counterparts in 2009.

$581$749

$0$516

$774$0

$870$907

$0

$728

$934

$0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900 $1,000

Black, nonunion

Black, union

Hispanic, non-union

Hispanic, union

Asian, non-union

Asian, union

White, non-union

White, union

Note: Hispanics can be of any race. Earnings are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers.Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2009 annual averages.

Contact Information

Jim WalkerEconomist

Division of Labor Force Statisticswww.bls.gov/cps

202-691-6486walker.james@bls.gov