Eroding union advantage ends Michigan's wage advantage: Unionization rate in MI relative to U.S. and MI median wage relative to U.S. median, 1985–2022
| MI median wage relative to U.S. | MI unionization rate relative to U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.07 | 1.55 |
| 1986 | 1.07 | 1.58 |
| 1987 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| 1988 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| 1989 | 1.05 | 1.58 |
| 1990 | 1.05 | 1.58 |
| 1991 | 1.06 | 1.57 |
| 1992 | 1.06 | 1.58 |
| 1993 | 1.05 | 1.57 |
| 1994 | 1.03 | 1.57 |
| 1995 | 1.04 | 1.56 |
| 1996 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| 1997 | 1.07 | 1.63 |
| 1998 | 1.08 | 1.62 |
| 1999 | 1.06 | 1.58 |
| 2000 | 1.06 | 1.55 |
| 2001 | 1.05 | 1.57 |
| 2002 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| 2003 | 1.06 | 1.64 |
| 2004 | 1.07 | 1.67 |
| 2005 | 1.06 | 1.69 |
| 2006 | 1.05 | 1.67 |
| 2007 | 1.03 | 1.63 |
| 2008 | 1.01 | 1.59 |
| 2009 | 1.00 | 1.55 |
| 2010 | 1.00 | 1.48 |
| 2011 | 0.99 | 1.47 |
| 2012 | 0.98 | 1.45 |
| 2013 | 0.97 | 1.47 |
| 2014 | 0.97 | 1.41 |
| 2015 | 0.98 | 1.38 |
| 2016 | 0.98 | 1.35 |
| 2017 | 0.98 | 1.39 |
| 2018 | 0.97 | 1.39 |
| 2019 | 0.97 | 1.39 |
| 2020 | 0.98 | 1.37 |
| 2021 | 0.99 | 1.35 |
| 2022 | 0.99 | 1.37 |
Note: The relative unionization rate is the share of employed workers who are members of a union in Michigan divided by the same share for the entire United States. The relative median wage is the median wage in Michigan divided by the national median wage. Unionization and median wage data are rolling three-year averages.
Source: EPI analysis of Economic Policy Institute. 2023. Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.38, https://microdata.epi.org.