Median wages rose more in places where unionization declined less: Percentage point changes in union density vs. annualized percent change in median wages by state, 1979-2024
| State | Percentage point change in union density, 1979-2024 | Annualized percent change in median wages, 1979-2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | -16.6 | 0.5% |
| Alaska | -17.0 | -0.3% |
| Arizona | -11.6 | 0.6% |
| Arkansas | -11.1 | 0.8% |
| California | -12.2 | 0.5% |
| Colorado | -11.5 | 0.8% |
| Connecticut | -11.8 | 0.8% |
| Delaware | -19.5 | 0.5% |
| Florida | -8.5 | 0.8% |
| Georgia | -9.1 | 0.7% |
| Hawaii | -8.0 | 0.4% |
| Idaho | -15.8 | 0.5% |
| Illinois | -17.2 | 0.3% |
| Indiana | -23.3 | 0.4% |
| Iowa | -18.7 | 0.5% |
| Kansas | -8.4 | 0.5% |
| Kentucky | -14.3 | 0.3% |
| Louisiana | -10.5 | 0.3% |
| Maine | -8.6 | 1.0% |
| Maryland | -13.1 | 0.7% |
| Massachusetts | -10.7 | 1.1% |
| Michigan | -23.7 | 0.2% |
| Minnesota | -14.7 | 0.6% |
| Mississippi | -7.5 | 0.7% |
| Missouri | -13.4 | 0.5% |
| Montana | -15.8 | 0.5% |
| Nebraska | -10.7 | 0.7% |
| Nevada | -13.9 | 0.5% |
| New Hampshire | -6.0 | 1.0% |
| New Jersey | -13.6 | 0.8% |
| New Mexico | -8.0 | 0.4% |
| New York | -15.3 | 0.6% |
| North Carolina | -6.9 | 0.7% |
| North Dakota | -10.1 | 0.9% |
| Ohio | -20.7 | 0.4% |
| Oklahoma | -8.2 | 0.4% |
| Oregon | -15.5 | 0.4% |
| Pennsylvania | -21.8 | 0.5% |
| Rhode Island | -10.7 | 0.9% |
| South Carolina | -6.2 | 0.8% |
| South Dakota | -11.4 | 0.9% |
| Tennessee | -18.9 | 0.8% |
| Texas | -8.5 | 0.5% |
| Utah | -13.3 | 0.5% |
| Vermont | -2.2 | 1.0% |
| Virginia | -11.0 | 0.8% |
| Washington | -19.2 | 0.5% |
| West Virginia | -21.5 | 0.2% |
| Wisconsin | -22.3 | 0.5% |
| Wyoming | -14.5 | 0.1% |
Notes: The trendline shows that where unionization declined 10 percentage points less, real median wages grew 0.263% faster each year on average. From 1979 to 2024, that translates into a 12.5% difference. The R-squared is 0.26.
Source: EPI analysis of 1978–1979 and 2022–2024 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group (CPS-ORG) data for all workers ages 16 and older.