Should Labor Unions Dominate Like They Do in These States?

24/7 Wall St. Insights

North and South Carolina, alternately, are the two states with the lowest unionization at 2.3% and 2.7% of the state’s population respectively.
Unions usually help workers to achieve better wages, better working conditions, and better policies – but could also increase labor costs.
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The Boston University Graduate Workers Union has been on strike for over five months, marking it as the longest strike from college or university student employees in a decade, if not longer. This union-backed strike aims to address systemic issues facing the student employees. In particular, the BUGWU claims that the University is trying to replace student employees with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, that unfair labor practices mean that the student employees are subject to harassment and violence, and that the minimum pay stipend is lower than it should be. Right now, it’s still unclear how this strike might affect the upcoming Boston University semester. (Is Boston University a top-tier school? Here are the top colleges and universities in the U.S., ranked.)

Much like the BUGWU, workers across the country have sought to join unions to protect workers’ rights and interests against the oversight and interests of overarching employers. Unions advocate for a better quality of life for workers, higher pay, and stronger negotiation. However, critics suggest that labor unions often reduce productivity and increase costs. This is mirrored in the breakdown of union membership across the United States. Notably, rising union membership did not keep pace with overall employment growth. Even as the ranks of unionized workers expanded, the share of working Americans who belong to a labor union fell by a tenth of a percentage point in 2023. (These are the states with the best and worst working conditions.)

Declining unionization rates represent the continuation of a long-term trend going back decades in the United States. Currently, only 10% of workers in the U.S. are union members, the smallest share since the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) records began in 1983, when 20.1% of workers were in a union. Still, in many parts of the country, organized labor remains a powerful force.

Using data from the BLS, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with the strongest labor unions. We ranked all 50 states on the share of workers who were members of an organized labor union in 2023. Supplemental data on unemployment and median annual earnings for all workers is from the BLS and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. This is the most up-to-date information available at the time of publication.

Depending on the state, union membership ranges from 2.3% of the workforce to 24.1%. Historically, the collective bargaining power of labor unions have resulted in improved working conditions and higher wages — and it may be no coincidence that incomes tend to be higher in many of the most unionized states. In each of the five states with the highest median earnings, the share of workers who belong to a labor union exceeds the 10% national average.

Unionization rates in a given state are largely a product of the local political landscape. Many states have implemented “right-to-work” laws. In these places, workers cannot be compelled to join a union as a necessary condition of their employment. Each of the 15 states with the lowest unionization rates have right-to-work laws on the books, while the 15 states with the strongest union participation do not.

Why We Need to Talk About This

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Unions shape America in multiple ways, from economic impact to politics and policies. Recognizing where unionization is strongest provides some insight into workers’ rights and the economic layout of an area. In some areas of the country, unions remain a powerful force. In others, membership has sharply declined. Identifying the patterns in economic trends and unionization provides a look into each area’s unique situation and potential future.

Here are the most unionized states in America, ranked: