Union representation has declined among workers approaching retirement: Share of workers represented by a union, by age, 1983–2021
| Year | Ages 25–54 | Ages 55–64 | Age 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 26.4% | 29.6% | 11.5% |
| 1984 | 24.9% | 27.8% | 11.3% |
| 1985 | 23.4% | 27.5% | 10.5% |
| 1986 | 22.4% | 26.4% | 10.4% |
| 1987 | 21.8% | 25.3% | 11.0% |
| 1988 | 21.5% | 25.7% | 10.4% |
| 1989 | 20.9% | 24.4% | 10.7% |
| 1990 | 20.4% | 24.2% | 10.3% |
| 1991 | 20.2% | 23.3% | 9.8% |
| 1992 | 19.9% | 22.8% | 10.3% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | 22.8% | 9.8% |
| 1994 | 19.5% | 22.8% | 10.3% |
| 1995 | 18.6% | 21.5% | 9.4% |
| 1996 | 18.1% | 20.8% | 8.4% |
| 1997 | 17.4% | 20.7% | 8.2% |
| 1998 | 17.1% | 20.2% | 8.3% |
| 1999 | 17.0% | 19.4% | 9.1% |
| 2000 | 16.5% | 19.6% | 9.7% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | 18.7% | 9.0% |
| 2002 | 16.0% | 19.0% | 9.0% |
| 2003 | 15.6% | 18.7% | 8.8% |
| 2004 | 15.2% | 18.4% | 9.0% |
| 2005 | 14.9% | 18.0% | 10.1% |
| 2006 | 14.3% | 17.6% | 9.5% |
| 2007 | 14.3% | 17.7% | 9.6% |
| 2008 | 14.7% | 18.4% | 10.2% |
| 2009 | 14.4% | 18.1% | 10.7% |
| 2010 | 14.0% | 17.2% | 10.4% |
| 2011 | 13.8% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2012 | 13.2% | 16.5% | 10.3% |
| 2013 | 13.3% | 15.8% | 10.5% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | 15.5% | 11.0% |
| 2015 | 13.0% | 15.7% | 10.9% |
| 2016 | 12.7% | 14.8% | 10.7% |
| 2017 | 12.7% | 14.9% | 10.5% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | 14.7% | 10.5% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | 14.0% | 10.9% |
| 2020 | 12.9% | 14.6% | 10.1% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | 13.6% | 9.9% |
| 2022 | 11.9% | 13.4% | 10.8% |
Notes: Workers are represented by a union if they are union members or if they are not members but report that they are covered by a union contract.
Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, January 1983–June 2022 (Flood et al. 2021).