State/local government has had the highest union membership rate (36.1%) for decades: Union membership rate, by sector, 1949–2017
| All | Private | Public | State and local government | Federal government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 31.8% | 34.7% | 12.1% | ||
| 1950 | 31.9% | 34.9% | 12.1% | ||
| 1950 | 31.6% | 34.6% | 12.3% | ||
| 1951 | 31.7% | 34.7% | 12.0% | ||
| 1952 | 32.0% | 35.2% | 12.0% | ||
| 1953 | 32.5% | 35.7% | 11.6% | ||
| 1954 | 32.3% | 35.6% | 11.4% | ||
| 1955 | 31.8% | 35.1% | 11.4% | ||
| 1956 | 31.4% | 34.7% | 11.1% | ||
| 1957 | 31.2% | 34.7% | 10.7% | ||
| 1958 | 30.3% | 33.9% | 10.6% | ||
| 1959 | 29.0% | 32.3% | 10.5% | ||
| 1960 | 28.6% | 31.9% | 10.8% | ||
| 1961 | 28.5% | 31.9% | 10.6% | ||
| 1962 | 30.4% | 31.6% | 24.3% | ||
| 1963 | 30.2% | 31.2% | 25.1% | ||
| 1964 | 30.2% | 31.0% | 26.0% | ||
| 1965 | 30.1% | 30.8% | 26.1% | ||
| 1966 | 29.6% | 30.3% | 26.1% | ||
| 1967 | 29.9% | 30.5% | 27.0% | ||
| 1968 | 29.5% | 29.9% | 27.3% | ||
| 1969 | 28.7% | 29.0% | 26.9% | ||
| 1970 | 29.6% | 29.1% | 32.0% | ||
| 1971 | 29.1% | 28.2% | 33.0% | ||
| 1972 | 28.8% | 27.3% | 35.4% | ||
| 1973 | 28.5% | 26.6% | 37.0% | ||
| 1974 | 28.3% | 26.2% | 38.0% | ||
| 1975 | 28.9% | 26.3% | 39.6% | ||
| 1976 | 27.9% | 25.1% | 40.2% | ||
| 1977 | 26.2% | 23.6% | 38.1% | ||
| 1978 | 25.1% | 22.5% | 36.7% | ||
| 1979 | 24.5% | 22.0% | 36.4% | ||
| 1980 | 23.2% | 20.6% | 35.1% | ||
| 1981 | 22.6% | 19.9% | 35.4% | ||
| 1982 | 21.9% | 19.0% | 35.2% | ||
| 1983 | 20.7% | 17.8% | 34.4% | ||
| 1984 | 18.8% | 15.5% | 35.8% | ||
| 1985 | 18.0% | 14.6% | 35.8% | ||
| 1986 | 17.5% | 14.0% | 36.0% | ||
| 1987 | 17.0% | 13.4% | 36.0% | ||
| 1988 | 16.8% | 12.9% | 36.7% | ||
| 1989 | 16.4% | 12.3% | 36.7% | 38.3% | 30.4% |
| 1990 | 16.0% | 11.8% | 36.4% | 37.7% | 30.7% |
| 1991 | 16.0% | 11.7% | 36.7% | 38.2% | 30.3% |
| 1992 | 15.7% | 11.3% | 36.5% | 37.7% | 30.8% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | 11.0% | 37.4% | 39.1% | 30.2% |
| 1994 | 15.5% | 10.8% | 38.7% | 39.9% | 33.6% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | 10.3% | 37.7% | 39.0% | 32.4% |
| 1996 | 14.5% | 10.0% | 37.6% | 39.0% | 31.7% |
| 1997 | 14.1% | 9.7% | 37.2% | 38.3% | 32.0% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | 9.5% | 37.5% | 38.3% | 33.8% |
| 1999 | 13.9% | 9.4% | 37.3% | 38.3% | 32.1% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | 9.0% | 37.4% | 38.5% | 32.0% |
| 2001 | 13.5% | 9.0% | 37.4% | 38.5% | 31.7% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | 8.6% | 37.8% | 38.9% | 32.5% |
| 2003 | 12.9% | 8.2% | 37.2% | 38.4% | 30.9% |
| 2004 | 12.5% | 7.9% | 36.4% | 37.7% | 29.9% |
| 2005 | 12.5% | 7.8% | 36.5% | 38.2% | 27.8% |
| 2006 | 12.0% | 7.4% | 36.2% | 37.7% | 28.4% |
| 2007 | 12.1% | 7.5% | 35.9% | 37.7% | 26.8% |
| 2008 | 12.4% | 7.6% | 36.8% | 38.5% | 28.1% |
| 2009 | 12.3% | 7.2% | 37.4% | 39.3% | 28.0% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | 6.9% | 36.2% | 38.2% | 26.8% |
| 2011 | 11.8% | 6.9% | 37.0% | 38.8% | 28.1% |
| 2012 | 11.2% | 6.6% | 35.9% | 37.8% | 26.9% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | 6.7% | 35.3% | 37.1% | 26.5% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | 6.6% | 35.7% | 37.4% | 27.5% |
| 2015 | 11.1% | 6.7% | 35.2% | 36.8% | 27.3% |
| 2016 | 10.7% | 6.4% | 34.4% | 35.9% | 27.4% |
| 2017 | 10.7% | 6.5% | 34.4% | 36.1% | 26.6% |
Notes: Data allowing for a disaggregation of the public sector into federal government and state and local government became available in 1989. The sharp increase in the public-sector union membership rate between 1961 and 1962 can be attributed to the passage of Executive Order 10988, which gave federal employees the right to collectively bargain (see “50th Anniversary: Executive Order 10988,” Federal Labor Relations Authority, 2012).
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata and Labor Research Association data