Wages and employment in union and nonunion construction for blacks and whites, 2006–2015
| Race/ethnicity | Union | Nonunion | Union wage advantage** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage (2015 dollars)* | |||
| Non-Hispanic white | $25.85 | $19.82 | 30.4% |
| Black | $21.36 | $15.70 | 36.1% |
| Black/white wage gap*** | -17.4% | -20.8% | |
| Share of total employment* | |||
| Black | 21.2% | 15.8% | |
| Total annual wages earned by blacks in union sector | Millions of dollars | Share of actual | |
| Actual | $335.1 | 100.0% | |
| At lesser nonunion wages | $246.3 | 73.5% | |
| At lesser nonunion employment shares | $249.5 | 74.4% | |
| At lesser nonunion employment and wages | $183.4 | 54.7% | |
| Nonunion impact | $(151.8) | -45.3% | |
* Construction occupations in the construction sector, excluding extraction occupations
** Union advantage is the percent by which union wages exceed that of nonunion wages
*** Black/white wage gap is the percent by which black wages are below those of whites
Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, 2006–2015