Table 4b: Union membership and union coverage within the public sector, 10-months ending October, 2019 to 2024
By selected characteristics
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Change
2024-2023 2024-2019
Coverage (%)
All 37.2% 38.5% 37.5% 37.2% 36.2% 35.4% −0.8 −1.8
Gender Male 37.5% 38.7% 38.5% 37.8% 37.9% 36.0% −1.8 −1.4
Female 37.0% 38.3% 36.8% 36.8% 35.0% 35.0% 0.0 −2.0
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 38.5% 39.2% 38.7% 38.1% 37.3% 36.2% −1.2 −2.4
Black 30.8% 34.9% 34.5% 33.4% 32.0% 31.4% −0.6 0.5
Hispanic 38.3% 40.4% 38.4% 38.8% 38.3% 37.6% −0.7 −0.7
AAPI 40.1% 41.0% 36.0% 39.5% 35.4% 37.4% 1.9 −2.8
Other 24.2% 17.1% 20.4% 19.1% 21.3% 21.3% 0.0 −2.9
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 38.4% 39.3% 38.5% 38.2% 37.3% 36.3% −1.0 −2.1
Black 31.4% 35.6% 34.5% 33.1% 31.9% 31.2% −0.7 −0.2
Hispanic 38.3% 40.4% 38.4% 38.8% 38.3% 37.6% −0.7 −0.7
Asian 39.0% 41.0% 35.2% 38.6% 34.1% 38.0% 3.9 −1.0
Age 16-24 19.5% 21.2% 23.8% 18.5% 20.6% 22.1% 1.5 2.6
25-34 37.3% 39.4% 36.7% 38.0% 34.6% 32.7% −1.9 −4.6
35-44 40.9% 42.4% 41.0% 40.3% 40.4% 39.6% −0.8 −1.3
45-54 40.3% 41.1% 40.8% 41.3% 40.2% 39.1% −1.1 −1.2
55-64 37.4% 38.1% 36.8% 35.5% 35.7% 35.6% 0.0 −1.8
65 & up 30.6% 27.4% 28.2% 30.9% 27.3% 28.3% 1.1 −2.3
Membership (%)
All 33.7% 34.9% 33.9% 33.6% 32.7% 32.0% −0.8 −1.7
Gender Male 34.2% 35.1% 34.8% 34.7% 34.4% 32.7% −1.7 −1.5
Female 33.3% 34.7% 33.2% 32.7% 31.5% 31.5% 0.0 −1.9
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 34.8% 35.5% 34.8% 34.2% 33.5% 32.5% −0.9 −2.3
Black 28.1% 31.9% 31.8% 30.3% 29.6% 28.0% −1.5 −0.1
Hispanic 34.5% 36.1% 34.5% 35.0% 35.1% 34.3% −0.8 −0.2
AAPI 37.1% 37.9% 32.3% 36.9% 31.4% 34.3% 2.8 −2.9
Other 22.2% 14.5% 19.2% 14.7% 21.1% 20.7% −0.4 −1.6
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 34.7% 35.5% 34.6% 34.4% 33.6% 32.7% −0.9 −2.0
Black 28.5% 32.5% 31.8% 30.0% 29.3% 28.2% −1.1 −0.3
Hispanic 34.5% 36.1% 34.5% 35.0% 35.1% 34.3% −0.8 −0.2
Asian 36.0% 37.6% 31.3% 35.5% 30.2% 34.7% 4.5 −1.4
Age 16-24 17.5% 18.5% 19.7% 17.1% 18.2% 18.7% 0.5 1.2
25-34 33.5% 35.6% 33.3% 33.8% 30.9% 29.7% −1.3 −3.9
35-44 37.2% 39.1% 37.1% 36.9% 36.6% 35.8% −0.8 −1.4
45-54 36.6% 37.3% 37.3% 37.5% 36.8% 35.9% −0.9 −0.7
55-64 33.9% 33.9% 32.9% 31.8% 32.0% 31.9% −0.1 −1.9
65 & up 27.9% 24.4% 25.3% 26.4% 24.9% 25.1% 0.1 −2.8
Coverage
All 7,790,000 7,951,000 7,749,000 7,926,000 7,787,000 7,695,000 −93,000 −96,000
Gender Male 3,375,000 3,436,000 3,404,000 3,497,000 3,530,000 3,361,000 −169,000 −14,000
Female 4,415,000 4,515,000 4,344,000 4,429,000 4,257,000 4,334,000 77,000 −82,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 5,274,000 5,220,000 5,156,000 5,185,000 5,023,000 4,859,000 −164,000 −415,000
Black 981,000 1,080,000 1,103,000 1,141,000 1,115,000 1,108,000 −7,000 128,000
Hispanic 982,000 1,120,000 995,000 1,063,000 1,093,000 1,155,000 62,000 173,000
AAPI 476,000 479,000 427,000 474,000 488,000 502,000 14,000 27,000
Other 78,000 52,000 67,000 62,000 68,000 70,000 2,000 −8,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 6,132,000 6,182,000 6,002,000 6,114,000 5,955,000 5,851,000 −104,000 −280,000
Black 1,005,000 1,107,000 1,117,000 1,143,000 1,115,000 1,106,000 −10,000 101,000
Hispanic 982,000 1,120,000 995,000 1,063,000 1,093,000 1,155,000 62,000 173,000
Asian 407,000 415,000 366,000 404,000 402,000 440,000 39,000 33,000
Age 16-24 277,000 244,000 268,000 235,000 279,000 319,000 40,000 42,000
25-34 1,550,000 1,667,000 1,530,000 1,605,000 1,496,000 1,433,000 −63,000 −116,000
35-44 1,924,000 2,085,000 1,938,000 2,034,000 2,100,000 2,057,000 −43,000 134,000
45-54 2,031,000 2,021,000 2,111,000 2,132,000 2,082,000 2,030,000 −53,000 −2,000
55-64 1,591,000 1,595,000 1,561,000 1,509,000 1,471,000 1,439,000 −32,000 −152,000
65 & up 418,000 340,000 340,000 410,000 358,000 416,000 58,000 −2,000
Membership
All 7,054,000 7,202,000 6,992,000 7,142,000 7,037,000 6,944,000 −93,000 −110,000
Gender Male 3,075,000 3,117,000 3,074,000 3,208,000 3,209,000 3,047,000 −162,000 −28,000
Female 3,979,000 4,086,000 3,917,000 3,934,000 3,828,000 3,897,000 69,000 −82,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 4,763,000 4,729,000 4,635,000 4,655,000 4,504,000 4,372,000 −132,000 −391,000
Black 894,000 987,000 1,016,000 1,037,000 1,031,000 989,000 −42,000 96,000
Hispanic 885,000 999,000 895,000 960,000 1,001,000 1,054,000 53,000 169,000
AAPI 440,000 444,000 382,000 442,000 433,000 461,000 28,000 21,000
Other 72,000 44,000 63,000 48,000 67,000 68,000 0 −4,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 5,540,000 5,585,000 5,398,000 5,495,000 5,358,000 5,271,000 −87,000 −269,000
Black 911,000 1,009,000 1,029,000 1,036,000 1,023,000 998,000 −25,000 87,000
Hispanic 885,000 999,000 895,000 960,000 1,001,000 1,054,000 53,000 169,000
Asian 377,000 381,000 325,000 372,000 356,000 402,000 46,000 25,000
Age 16-24 247,000 214,000 222,000 217,000 246,000 269,000 23,000 22,000
25-34 1,391,000 1,509,000 1,391,000 1,429,000 1,337,000 1,298,000 −38,000 −93,000
35-44 1,749,000 1,923,000 1,751,000 1,861,000 1,901,000 1,857,000 −44,000 108,000
45-54 1,844,000 1,835,000 1,930,000 1,933,000 1,905,000 1,862,000 −43,000 17,000
55-64 1,441,000 1,419,000 1,393,000 1,352,000 1,321,000 1,289,000 −32,000 −152,000
65 & up 382,000 303,000 305,000 350,000 328,000 369,000 41,000 −13,000
Total employment
All 20,935,000 20,652,000 20,636,000 21,282,000 21,492,000 21,711,000 219,000 776,000
Gender Male 9,003,000 8,868,000 8,845,000 9,250,000 9,325,000 9,324,000 −1,000 321,000
Female 11,932,000 11,784,000 11,791,000 12,032,000 12,168,000 12,387,000 219,000 455,000
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 13,684,000 13,315,000 13,332,000 13,597,000 13,453,000 13,436,000 −17,000 −248,000
Black 3,180,000 3,094,000 3,199,000 3,420,000 3,488,000 3,531,000 42,000 351,000
Hispanic 2,562,000 2,771,000 2,594,000 2,739,000 2,853,000 3,072,000 219,000 510,000
AAPI 1,185,000 1,169,000 1,185,000 1,200,000 1,378,000 1,344,000 −34,000 160,000
Other 324,000 303,000 326,000 327,000 320,000 328,000 8,000 4,000
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 15,957,000 15,747,000 15,583,000 15,987,000 15,959,000 16,129,000 171,000 172,000
Black 3,196,000 3,110,000 3,235,000 3,449,000 3,493,000 3,539,000 45,000 342,000
Hispanic 2,562,000 2,771,000 2,594,000 2,739,000 2,853,000 3,072,000 219,000 510,000
Asian 1,046,000 1,013,000 1,038,000 1,047,000 1,178,000 1,159,000 −19,000 113,000
Age 16-24 1,415,000 1,156,000 1,126,000 1,267,000 1,355,000 1,441,000 86,000 26,000
25-34 4,149,000 4,234,000 4,171,000 4,229,000 4,320,000 4,377,000 57,000 228,000
35-44 4,706,000 4,919,000 4,723,000 5,049,000 5,197,000 5,194,000 −3,000 488,000
45-54 5,043,000 4,920,000 5,171,000 5,159,000 5,181,000 5,191,000 10,000 148,000
55-64 4,255,000 4,184,000 4,240,000 4,251,000 4,125,000 4,039,000 −86,000 −216,000
65 & up 1,367,000 1,239,000 1,206,000 1,326,000 1,313,000 1,469,000 156,000 103,000
Sample size
All 128,763 110,659 112,513 108,792 104,587 104,660
Gender Male 65,475 56,503 57,502 55,665 53,305 53,348
Female 63,288 54,156 55,011 53,127 51,282 51,312
Race/ethnicity (EPI**) White 86,958 76,068 75,434 71,830 68,502 67,982
Black 12,947 10,871 11,497 11,142 10,522 10,171
Hispanic 18,715 15,110 16,431 16,496 16,540 17,337
AAPI 8,474 7,279 7,740 7,965 7,698 7,876
Other 1,669 1,331 1,411 1,359 1,325 1,294
Race/ethnicity (BLS***) White 104,005 89,843 90,291 86,747 83,538 83,670
Black 12,942 10,843 11,518 11,141 10,551 10,227
Hispanic 18,715 15,110 16,431 16,496 16,540 17,337
Asian 7,482 6,440 6,905 6,990 6,676 6,935
Age 16-24 15,669 12,488 13,567 12,996 12,660 12,633
25-34 28,316 23,725 24,760 23,867 22,598 22,492
35-44 27,484 24,098 24,522 24,001 23,086 23,454
45-54 26,224 22,718 22,516 21,566 20,862 20,754
55-64 22,875 20,233 19,737 18,992 18,048 17,676
65 & up 8,195 7,397 7,411 7,370 7,333 7,651
* 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 1.0.58, https://microdata.epi.org.