Union Participation by Occupation and Industry

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The following table shows the percent of workers that are represented by unions or members of unions, according to occupations that include managerial, executive, industrial, professional, technical, sales, and transportation positions.

	Percent of employed population that are members of unions¹					Percent of employed population that are represented by unions²
	2007	2006	1999	1998	1997	2007	2006	1999	1998	1997
Occupation
Managerial and professional specialty	13.1%	12.8%	13.2%	12.8%	13.2%	14.9%	14.6%	15.4%	15.2%	15.5%
Executive, administrative, and managerial	4.5	4.2	5.6	5.2	5.1	5.4	5.3	7.1	6.6	6.4
Professional specialty	18.2	17.7	19.7	19.5	20.2	20.5	20.0	22.5	22.7	23.4
Technical, sales, and administrative support	10.2	9.9	9.0	9.2	9.1	11.3	10.9	10.2	10.4	10.5
Technicians and related support	n.a.	n.a.	11.0	10.4	10.4	n.a.	n.a.	12.5	12.0	12.2
Sales occupations	3.3	3.1	4.1	4.1	4.3	3.7	3.5	4.6	4.6	5.0
Administrative support, including clerical	n.a.	n.a.	12.2	12.7	12.3	n.a.	n.a.	13.8	14.3	14.1
Service occupations	11.4	11.4	12.8	13.3	13.2	12.4	12.3	13.9	14.5	14.5
Protective service	35.2	34.7	38.2	41.3	39.9	37.2	36.6	40.8	43.7	42.9
Service, except protective service	8.0	8.9	8.5	8.6	8.9	8.6	9.7	9.3	9.5	10.0
Precision production, craft, and repair	n.a.	n.a.	22.4	22.1	22.6	n.a.	n.a.	23.5	23.1	23.7
Operators, fabricators, and laborers	n.a.	n.a.	20.7	21.3	21.5	n.a.	n.a.	21.9	22.3	22.7
Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors	n.a.	n.a.	20.5	21.4	21.9	n.a.	n.a.	21.7	22.3	22.9
Transportation and material moving occupations	17.7	18.5	22.8	24.4	24.3	19.0	19.7	24.1	25.7	25.9
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers	n.a.	n.a.	18.9	18.1	18.1	n.a.	n.a.	20.0	19.1	19.4
Farming, forestry, and fishing	2.7	3.5	5.8	4.6	4.6	3.2	3.7	6.4	5.2	5.1
Industry
Private wage and salary workers	7.5	7.4	9.4	9.5	n.a.	8.2	8.1	10.2	10.3	n.a.
Agriculture	1.5	2.3	2.5	1.5	2.1	1.8	2.6	2.8	1.8	2.4
Nonagricultural industries	7.5	7.5	9.5	9.6	9.8	8.2	8.1	10.3	10.4	10.8
Mining	9.3	7.5	10.6	12.2	13.9	10.2	8.8	11.4	13.4	14.3
Construction	13.9	13.0	19.1	17.8	18.6	14.4	13.6	19.6	18.4	19.5
Manufacturing	11.3	11.7	15.6	15.8	16.3	12.0	12.5	16.6	16.8	17.2
Durable goods	11.3	11.8	16.4	16.6	17.5	12.0	12.5	17.5	17.5	18.5
Nondurable goods	11.3	11.4	14.4	14.7	14.5	12.1	12.3	15.3	15.7	15.4
Transportation and public utilities	22.1	23.2	25.5	25.8	26.0	23.4	24.3	26.7	27.0	27.5
Transportation	20.9	22.2	25.5	25.7	26.5	22.3	23.4	26.7	26.8	27.9
Communications and public utilities	28.4	28.2	25.4	26.0	25.1	29.4	29.1	26.9	27.4	26.7
Wholesale and retail trade	5.2	5.0	5.2	5.3	5.6	5.7	5.3	5.7	5.7	6.2
Wholesale trade	5.2	4.9	5.4	5.9	5.8	5.7	5.2	6.1	6.2	6.6
Retail trade	5.2	5.0	5.1	5.2	5.5	5.7	5.3	5.6	5.6	6.1
Finance, insurance, and real estate	2.0	1.9	2.1	2.0	2.2	2.4	2.3	2.5	2.6	2.8
Services	2.9³	3.1³	5.5	5.6	5.4	3.3³	3.5³	6.5	6.6	6.5
Government workers	35.9	36.2	37.3	37.5	37.2	39.8	40.1	42.1	42.5	42.3
Federal	26.8	28.4	32.1	33.8	32.0	31.5	33.7	39.0	39.7	39.4
State	30.4	30.2	29.2	27.8	29.5	34.0	33.6	34.0	32.4	33.4
Local	41.8	41.9	42.9	43.8	42.7	45.6	45.7	47.0	48.6	47.7

NOTE: Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time wage and salary workers. Excluded are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

1. Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.

2. Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.

3. Includes other industries, not shown separately.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web: www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.t03.htm .

Weekly Earnings of Union-Affiliated Workers

Labor Unions

Weekly Earnings of Union-Affiliated Workers by Occupation

Weekly Earnings of Union-Affiliated Workers, 1998–1999 Labor Union Statistics Weekly Earnings of Union-Affiliated Workers by Occupation, 1998–1999

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