Figure A
Union membership rate versus the middle class's share of aggregate income, 1967–2013
Year | Union membership rate | Middle-class share of total income |
---|---|---|
1967 | 28.3% | 52.3% |
1968 | 28.2 | 53.2 |
1969 | 28.0 | 52.9 |
1970 | 27.8 | 52.7 |
1971 | 27.2 | 52.4 |
1972 | 26.6 | 51.9 |
1973 | 26.6 | 51.9 |
1974 | 26.2 | 52.2 |
1975 | 24.6 | 52.1 |
1976 | 24.5 | 52.0 |
1977 | 24.1 | 51.8 |
1978 | 23.4 | 51.7 |
1979 | 24.4 | 51.6 |
1980 | 23.3 | 51.7 |
1981 | 21.7 | 51.6 |
1982 | 21.0 | 51.0 |
1983 | 20.3 | 50.9 |
1984 | 19.1 | 50.8 |
1985 | 18.2 | 50.4 |
1986 | 17.7 | 50.2 |
1987 | 17.3 | 50.0 |
1988 | 17.0 | 49.8 |
1989 | 16.6 | 49.3 |
1990 | 16.3 | 49.5 |
1991 | 16.3 | 49.7 |
1992 | 16.0 | 49.4 |
1993 | 16.0 | 47.6 |
1994 | 15.7 | 47.3 |
1995 | 15.1 | 47.6 |
1996 | 14.7 | 47.4 |
1997 | 14.2 | 47.1 |
1998 | 14.1 | 47.2 |
1999 | 14.0 | 47.0 |
2000 | 13.6 | 46.7 |
2001 | 13.7 | 46.3 |
2002 | 13.5 | 46.9 |
2003 | 13.0 | 46.9 |
2004 | 12.6 | 46.6 |
2005 | 12.5 | 46.2 |
2006 | 12.1 | 46.0 |
2007 | 12.2 | 46.9 |
2008 | 12.5 | 46.6 |
2009 | 12.4 | 46.4 |
2010 | 12.0 | 46.5 |
2011 | 11.9 | 45.7 |
2012 | 11.3 | 45.7 |
2013 | 11.3 | 45.8 |
Note: The middle class is defined here as the middle 60 percent of U.S. households.
Source: Adapted from Keith Miller and David Madland, "New Census Data Once Again Illustrate Importance of Unions to the Middle Class," Center for American Progress, September 18, 2014
This chart appears in:
Previous chart: « Rich People Have Paid Sick Days. Poor People Do Not.: Percent of private industry workers with access to paid sick days, by wage group, 2014
Next chart: Quality of life is lower in RTW states: Income and other quality-of-life measures, Wisconsin versus RTW states »