Workers want unions, but the latest data point to obstacles in their path
Summary: The recent surge in labor actions has not translated into higher unionization rates in the latest government data. Despite workers’ desire for unions, their efforts to organize are being undermined by a broken system that has failed them.
In 2023, 16.2 million workers were represented by a union—an increase of 191,000. At the same time, the percentage of workers represented by a union decreased from 11.3% to 11.2%, as unionization efforts were unable to keep pace with 2023’s strong job growth.
By sector, private-sector unionization rose to 6.9% in 2023, while public-sector unionization declined to 36.0%.
Unionization among workers of color accounted for the entire increase in the union level in 2023, and Black workers had the highest unionization rate at 13.1%.
https://www.epi.org/publication/union-membership-data/?mc_cid=af1973311c&mc_eid=56485f06ea