Table 4b: Union membership and union coverage within the public sector, 12-months ending December, 2019 to 2024
By selected characteristics
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Change
2024-2023 2024-2019
Coverage (%)
All 37.2% 38.4% 37.6% 36.8% 36.0% 35.7% −0.2 −1.4
Gender Male 37.7% 38.5% 38.3% 37.7% 37.5% 36.5% −1.0 −1.2
Female 36.8% 38.3% 37.0% 36.1% 34.8% 35.2% 0.3 −1.6
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 38.4% 39.2% 38.6% 37.6% 36.9% 36.4% −0.5 −1.9
Black 30.9% 34.7% 34.3% 32.7% 32.4% 32.4% 0.0 1.5
Hispanic 39.1% 39.5% 38.6% 39.0% 37.8% 37.3% −0.5 −1.8
AAPI 40.1% 41.8% 36.7% 37.8% 36.1% 37.8% 1.7 −2.3
Other 23.9% 19.1% 21.1% 20.3% 21.5% 22.1% 0.7 −1.7
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 38.4% 39.1% 38.5% 37.8% 36.9% 36.5% −0.4 −2.0
Black 31.5% 35.3% 34.1% 32.7% 32.3% 32.3% 0.0 0.8
Hispanic 39.1% 39.5% 38.6% 39.0% 37.8% 37.3% −0.5 −1.8
Asian 38.4% 41.4% 36.1% 37.0% 34.7% 37.7% 2.9 −0.7
Age 16-24 19.6% 21.6% 22.9% 18.8% 20.2% 23.8% 3.6 4.2
25-34 37.0% 38.7% 37.2% 37.6% 34.8% 33.1% −1.7 −3.9
35-44 41.2% 42.3% 40.6% 39.7% 40.0% 39.3% −0.7 −2.0
45-54 40.0% 40.7% 41.0% 41.1% 40.3% 40.0% −0.3 −0.1
55-64 37.0% 38.7% 37.1% 35.1% 35.1% 35.9% 0.8 −1.1
65 & up 32.0% 27.9% 28.6% 29.5% 26.0% 27.7% 1.6 −4.4
Membership (%)
All 33.6% 34.8% 33.9% 33.2% 32.5% 32.2% −0.3 −1.4
Gender Male 34.5% 34.8% 34.6% 34.5% 34.1% 32.8% −1.2 −1.6
Female 33.0% 34.7% 33.3% 32.1% 31.3% 31.6% 0.4 −1.3
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 34.5% 35.4% 34.7% 33.8% 33.0% 32.6% −0.4 −1.9
Black 28.1% 31.7% 31.4% 29.6% 29.9% 28.9% −1.0 0.9
Hispanic 35.4% 35.4% 34.7% 35.5% 34.7% 33.9% −0.8 −1.5
AAPI 37.3% 38.6% 33.2% 34.9% 32.3% 34.6% 2.3 −2.8
Other 22.3% 17.0% 20.0% 15.7% 19.6% 21.7% 2.1 −0.6
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 34.7% 35.3% 34.6% 34.0% 33.2% 32.7% −0.4 −1.9
Black 28.4% 32.3% 31.0% 29.5% 29.6% 29.1% −0.4 0.7
Hispanic 35.4% 35.4% 34.7% 35.5% 34.7% 33.9% −0.8 −1.5
Asian 35.7% 38.1% 32.3% 33.8% 31.1% 34.3% 3.2 −1.4
Age 16-24 17.1% 18.9% 19.0% 16.9% 18.1% 18.2% 0.1 1.2
25-34 33.1% 35.0% 33.9% 33.5% 31.1% 29.9% −1.1 −3.1
35-44 37.5% 39.0% 36.6% 36.4% 36.0% 35.5% −0.5 −2.1
45-54 36.4% 37.0% 37.4% 37.2% 36.9% 36.7% −0.2 0.4
55-64 33.4% 34.3% 33.0% 31.4% 31.5% 32.2% 0.8 −1.2
65 & up 29.2% 25.1% 25.5% 25.7% 23.7% 24.8% 1.0 −4.5
Coverage
All 7,813,000 7,915,000 7,745,000 7,832,000 7,763,000 7,800,000 37,000 −13,000
Gender Male 3,388,000 3,397,000 3,372,000 3,470,000 3,505,000 3,428,000 −78,000 39,000
Female 4,425,000 4,518,000 4,373,000 4,362,000 4,257,000 4,372,000 115,000 −53,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 5,248,000 5,201,000 5,147,000 5,114,000 4,990,000 4,921,000 −69,000 −327,000
Black 989,000 1,084,000 1,095,000 1,107,000 1,145,000 1,159,000 15,000 170,000
Hispanic 1,012,000 1,078,000 992,000 1,078,000 1,071,000 1,147,000 76,000 135,000
AAPI 485,000 493,000 442,000 468,000 488,000 495,000 7,000 10,000
Other 79,000 60,000 69,000 66,000 69,000 77,000 8,000 −1,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 6,139,000 6,131,000 5,983,000 6,035,000 5,904,000 5,908,000 4,000 −231,000
Black 1,019,000 1,103,000 1,096,000 1,118,000 1,138,000 1,150,000 13,000 132,000
Hispanic 1,012,000 1,078,000 992,000 1,078,000 1,071,000 1,147,000 76,000 135,000
Asian 410,000 425,000 377,000 399,000 405,000 426,000 21,000 16,000
Age 16-24 281,000 254,000 264,000 245,000 276,000 353,000 77,000 72,000
25-34 1,552,000 1,642,000 1,576,000 1,612,000 1,517,000 1,459,000 −58,000 −93,000
35-44 1,946,000 2,065,000 1,909,000 1,989,000 2,090,000 2,029,000 −61,000 84,000
45-54 2,018,000 1,980,000 2,092,000 2,118,000 2,099,000 2,099,000 −1,000 80,000
55-64 1,579,000 1,624,000 1,549,000 1,473,000 1,434,000 1,451,000 17,000 −128,000
65 & up 436,000 349,000 356,000 395,000 345,000 409,000 64,000 −27,000
Membership
All 7,059,000 7,168,000 6,978,000 7,061,000 7,007,000 7,017,000 10,000 −42,000
Gender Male 3,095,000 3,071,000 3,043,000 3,176,000 3,184,000 3,084,000 −100,000 −12,000
Female 3,963,000 4,097,000 3,935,000 3,885,000 3,823,000 3,933,000 110,000 −30,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 4,719,000 4,703,000 4,621,000 4,595,000 4,466,000 4,410,000 −56,000 −309,000
Black 898,000 992,000 1,001,000 1,002,000 1,058,000 1,035,000 −23,000 137,000
Hispanic 917,000 965,000 891,000 982,000 984,000 1,044,000 60,000 127,000
AAPI 452,000 455,000 400,000 431,000 436,000 452,000 17,000 1,000
Other 73,000 53,000 65,000 51,000 63,000 76,000 12,000 2,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 5,533,000 5,534,000 5,375,000 5,436,000 5,310,000 5,301,000 −9,000 −232,000
Black 920,000 1,010,000 998,000 1,009,000 1,041,000 1,039,000 −2,000 119,000
Hispanic 917,000 965,000 891,000 982,000 984,000 1,044,000 60,000 127,000
Asian 382,000 391,000 338,000 365,000 363,000 388,000 26,000 7,000
Age 16-24 245,000 223,000 219,000 220,000 248,000 271,000 23,000 26,000
25-34 1,387,000 1,484,000 1,434,000 1,439,000 1,354,000 1,319,000 −35,000 −68,000
35-44 1,770,000 1,905,000 1,720,000 1,824,000 1,883,000 1,833,000 −50,000 63,000
45-54 1,833,000 1,802,000 1,911,000 1,916,000 1,923,000 1,928,000 5,000 95,000
55-64 1,426,000 1,439,000 1,378,000 1,318,000 1,285,000 1,301,000 16,000 −126,000
65 & up 398,000 315,000 317,000 343,000 314,000 366,000 51,000 −32,000
Total employment
All 21,011,000 20,618,000 20,613,000 21,298,000 21,573,000 21,821,000 248,000 809,000
Gender Male 8,985,000 8,822,000 8,796,000 9,204,000 9,348,000 9,388,000 40,000 403,000
Female 12,026,000 11,796,000 11,817,000 12,094,000 12,225,000 12,433,000 207,000 406,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 13,682,000 13,276,000 13,325,000 13,589,000 13,529,000 13,511,000 −19,000 −172,000
Black 3,200,000 3,125,000 3,191,000 3,382,000 3,534,000 3,576,000 42,000 376,000
Hispanic 2,590,000 2,728,000 2,567,000 2,765,000 2,835,000 3,075,000 240,000 486,000
AAPI 1,210,000 1,178,000 1,205,000 1,236,000 1,351,000 1,309,000 −42,000 99,000
Other 330,000 312,000 325,000 325,000 324,000 350,000 26,000 20,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 15,969,000 15,677,000 15,552,000 15,983,000 16,014,000 16,203,000 189,000 234,000
Black 3,234,000 3,129,000 3,214,000 3,422,000 3,523,000 3,566,000 43,000 331,000
Hispanic 2,590,000 2,728,000 2,567,000 2,765,000 2,835,000 3,075,000 240,000 486,000
Asian 1,069,000 1,027,000 1,045,000 1,080,000 1,164,000 1,131,000 −33,000 62,000
Age 16-24 1,434,000 1,179,000 1,151,000 1,300,000 1,367,000 1,484,000 118,000 51,000
25-34 4,193,000 4,241,000 4,236,000 4,290,000 4,360,000 4,404,000 44,000 211,000
35-44 4,717,000 4,884,000 4,699,000 5,013,000 5,230,000 5,169,000 −61,000 451,000
45-54 5,040,000 4,867,000 5,103,000 5,158,000 5,207,000 5,249,000 42,000 209,000
55-64 4,265,000 4,195,000 4,180,000 4,199,000 4,084,000 4,037,000 −47,000 −228,000
65 & up 1,362,000 1,253,000 1,243,000 1,338,000 1,325,000 1,478,000 152,000 116,000
Sample size
All 154,727 133,671 134,177 129,714 125,755 125,586
Gender Male 78,633 68,252 68,586 66,361 64,079 64,060
Female 76,094 65,419 65,591 63,353 61,676 61,526
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 104,491 91,644 89,917 85,487 82,151 81,427
Black 15,570 13,234 13,657 13,218 12,696 12,160
Hispanic 22,427 18,331 19,641 19,882 20,031 20,910
AAPI 10,236 8,842 9,293 9,512 9,276 9,503
Other 2,003 1,620 1,669 1,615 1,601 1,586
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 124,948 108,361 107,668 103,483 100,355 100,364
Black 15,566 13,181 13,689 13,247 12,710 12,207
Hispanic 22,427 18,331 19,641 19,882 20,031 20,910
Asian 9,027 7,833 8,295 8,338 8,042 8,374
Age 16-24 18,696 15,210 16,139 15,440 15,174 15,109
25-34 34,093 28,809 29,376 28,324 27,207 27,045
35-44 33,172 29,094 29,390 28,632 27,722 28,161
45-54 31,451 27,351 26,859 25,785 25,084 24,895
55-64 27,428 24,275 23,513 22,638 21,606 21,212
65 & up 9,887 8,932 8,900 8,895 8,962 9,164
* Many estimates here and in the final published BLS report are subject to substantial sampling error due to small underlying sample sizes.
** The EPI race/ethnicity categories in this table are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic any race). Data here will not match published BLS data because the BLS categories are not mutually exclusive.
*** The BLS race/ethnicity categories in this table are not mutually exclusive (i.e., white, Black, and Hispanic overlapping any race) to more closely match published BLS data.
Note: Workers 16 and older; excludes self-employed and self-incorporated. Changes may not match exactly due to rounding.
Source: Economic Policy Institute. 2022. Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.60, https://microdata.epi.org.