Unionization rates vary widely by state: Union density for all workers and public sector workers by state, 2019–2023 average
| State | Union density, all workers | Union density, public sector |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8.5% | 22.6% |
| Alaska | 17.5% | 40.2% |
| Arizona | 6.4% | 23.5% |
| Arkansas | 5.5% | 10.7% |
| California | 17.3% | 56.4% |
| Colorado | 8.4% | 23.5% |
| Connecticut | 16.5% | 67.8% |
| Delaware | 10.0% | 36.2% |
| Washington D.C. | 10.1% | 22.2% |
| Florida | 6.6% | 28.1% |
| Georgia | 5.6% | 16.6% |
| Hawaii | 24.8% | 55.2% |
| Idaho | 5.9% | 18.5% |
| Illinois | 14.5% | 51.8% |
| Indiana | 9.4% | 28.4% |
| Iowa | 8.5% | 28.1% |
| Kansas | 11.1% | 26.9% |
| Kentucky | 10.0% | 21.0% |
| Louisiana | 5.8% | 15.9% |
| Maine | 13.5% | 51.5% |
| Maryland | 13.0% | 33.8% |
| Massachusetts | 13.4% | 55.7% |
| Michigan | 15.2% | 48.3% |
| Minnesota | 15.5% | 56.2% |
| Mississippi | 8.1% | 17.1% |
| Missouri | 10.7% | 28.2% |
| Montana | 12.6% | 38.9% |
| Nebraska | 9.1% | 31.7% |
| Nevada | 14.6% | 42.1% |
| New Hampshire | 11.2% | 50.9% |
| New Jersey | 17.2% | 61.8% |
| New Mexico | 9.2% | 22.9% |
| New York | 22.8% | 68.9% |
| North Carolina | 3.6% | 11.4% |
| North Dakota | 7.4% | 21.9% |
| Ohio | 13.6% | 47.6% |
| Oklahoma | 7.5% | 23.4% |
| Oregon | 16.7% | 57.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 13.8% | 56.3% |
| Rhode Island | 17.3% | 63.3% |
| South Carolina | 2.7% | 7.3% |
| South Dakota | 5.1% | 19.5% |
| Tennessee | 5.9% | 19.5% |
| Texas | 5.3% | 18.8% |
| Utah | 7.0% | 19.7% |
| Vermont | 13.8% | 47.5% |
| Virginia | 5.4% | 14.2% |
| Washington | 19.2% | 54.2% |
| West Virginia | 10.6% | 23.8% |
| Wisconsin | 9.0% | 25.8% |
| Wyoming | 7.7% | 16.5% |
Notes: Data refers to workers 16+. Self-employed and self-incorporated workers are excluded. Union density is defined as the share of workers in the state who are represented by a union, including union members and other workers who are covered by a union contract, based on the variable “union” from EPI extracts of CPS-ORG microdata. We average union density data across 2019 to 2023 for each state to give a more accurate estimate of states’ typical unionization rates in recent years.
Source: Economic Policy Institute. 2023. Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.47, https://microdata.epi.org, 2019–2023 data.