Public-sector workers are an increasing share of all union members: Share of total union membership accounted for by the private and public sectors, 1949–2017
| Private | Public | State and local government | Federal government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 95.2% | 4.8% | ||
| 1959 | 94.5% | 5.5% | ||
| 1969 | 83.7% | 16.3% | ||
| 1979 | 73.7% | 26.3% | ||
| 1989 | 62.1% | 31.8% | 6.1% | |
| 2000 | 56.4% | 37.3% | 6.4% | |
| 2007 | 51.8% | 42.4% | 5.8% | |
| 2017 | 51.3% | 42.1% | 6.6% |
Note: Data allowing for a disaggregation of the public sector into federal government and state and local government became available in 1989.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata and CPS May Extract microdata