Figure I
Increasing union density to 30% would raise wages in every state: State median wage increase, annualized, of raising union density to 30%
| State | Median annualized wage change | Actual density | New density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $8,500 | 6.8% | 30.0% |
| Alaska | $5,600 | 16.8% | 30.0% |
| Arizona | $9,700 | 4.0% | 30.0% |
| Arkansas | $8,900 | 3.8% | 30.0% |
| California | $6,400 | 14.9% | 30.0% |
| Colorado | $10,200 | 6.9% | 30.0% |
| Connecticut | $6,200 | 16.1% | 30.0% |
| Delaware | $7,900 | 9.2% | 30.0% |
| Florida | $9,200 | 5.0% | 30.0% |
| Georgia | $9,500 | 4.5% | 30.0% |
| Hawaii | $1,900 | 25.1% | 30.0% |
| Idaho | $9,100 | 4.5% | 30.0% |
| Illinois | $6,900 | 13.0% | 30.0% |
| Indiana | $7,800 | 8.4% | 30.0% |
| Iowa | $8,200 | 6.8% | 30.0% |
| Kansas | $8,300 | 7.2% | 30.0% |
| Kentucky | $7,000 | 8.8% | 30.0% |
| Louisiana | $8,700 | 4.2% | 30.0% |
| Maine | $7,500 | 11.4% | 30.0% |
| Maryland | $8,400 | 11.6% | 30.0% |
| Massachusetts | $7,600 | 13.9% | 30.0% |
| Michigan | $6,400 | 13.0% | 30.0% |
| Minnesota | $6,500 | 13.8% | 30.0% |
| Mississippi | $7,900 | 5.5% | 30.0% |
| Missouri | $7,600 | 9.2% | 30.0% |
| Montana | $6,900 | 11.6% | 30.0% |
| Nebraska | $8,600 | 6.9% | 30.0% |
| Nevada | $6,300 | 12.5% | 30.0% |
| New Hampshire | $9,200 | 9.1% | 30.0% |
| New Jersey | $6,400 | 15.7% | 30.0% |
| New Mexico | $8,000 | 7.0% | 30.0% |
| New York | $3,900 | 20.8% | 30.0% |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | 2.5% | 30.0% |
| North Dakota | $9,300 | 5.7% | 30.0% |
| Ohio | $6,700 | 12.1% | 30.0% |
| Oklahoma | $8,100 | 6.1% | 30.0% |
| Oregon | $6,200 | 15.1% | 30.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $7,300 | 11.9% | 30.0% |
| Rhode Island | $6,500 | 14.2% | 30.0% |
| South Carolina | $9,600 | 2.6% | 30.0% |
| South Dakota | $9,800 | 2.9% | 30.0% |
| Tennessee | $9,300 | 5.1% | 30.0% |
| Texas | $9,300 | 4.6% | 30.0% |
| Utah | $9,600 | 3.9% | 30.0% |
| Vermont | $6,400 | 13.9% | 30.0% |
| Virginia | $10,600 | 4.9% | 30.0% |
| Washington | $5,900 | 16.8% | 30.0% |
| Washington D.C. | 9.7% | 30.0% | |
| West Virginia | $7,600 | 8.7% | 30.0% |
| Wisconsin | $9,200 | 6.8% | 30.0% |
| Wyoming | $8,900 | 5.7% | 30.0% |
Notes: Wage effects are based on a regression using state-level annual data of log median hourly wages on union density, adjusted for state and year-level effects and several economic and demographic controls as described in the text. Wage effects are annualized to full-time, full-year workers by multiplying the hourly wage effect by 2080 hours.
Source: Authors' analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata, EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.5.14, https://microdata.epi.org.
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