States with anti-union laws restricting collective bargaining rights have lower unionization rates: States with statutory restrictions on all workers' collective bargaining rights due to so-called right-to-work laws and union density for all workers by state, 2022–2025 average
| State | Key | Right-to-work status | Union density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 0 | RTW | 8.0% |
| Alaska | 1 | Non-RTW | 18.2% |
| Arizona | 0 | RTW | 5.0% |
| Arkansas | 0 | RTW | 4.8% |
| California | 1 | Non-RTW | 16.9% |
| Colorado | 1 | Non-RTW | 7.7% |
| Connecticut | 1 | Non-RTW | 16.8% |
| Delaware | 1 | Non-RTW | 10.0% |
| Washington D.C. | 1 | Non-RTW | 10.8% |
| Florida | 0 | RTW | 6.1% |
| Georgia | 0 | RTW | 5.3% |
| Hawaii | 1 | Non-RTW | 25.6% |
| Idaho | 0 | RTW | 5.6% |
| Illinois | 1 | Non-RTW | 14.0% |
| Indiana | 0 | RTW | 9.4% |
| Iowa | 0 | RTW | 8.5% |
| Kansas | 0 | RTW | 9.9% |
| Kentucky | 0 | RTW | 10.8% |
| Louisiana | 0 | RTW | 5.2% |
| Maine | 1 | Non-RTW | 13.0% |
| Maryland | 1 | Non-RTW | 13.6% |
| Massachusetts | 1 | Non-RTW | 14.6% |
| Michigan | 1 | Non-RTW | 14.6% |
| Minnesota | 1 | Non-RTW | 15.0% |
| Mississippi | 0 | RTW | 8.1% |
| Missouri | 1 | Non-RTW | 10.4% |
| Montana | 1 | Non-RTW | 12.7% |
| Nebraska | 0 | RTW | 8.5% |
| Nevada | 0 | RTW | 13.7% |
| New Hampshire | 1 | Non-RTW | 10.6% |
| New Jersey | 1 | Non-RTW | 16.7% |
| New Mexico | 1 | Non-RTW | 9.1% |
| New York | 1 | Non-RTW | 22.0% |
| North Carolina | 0 | RTW | 3.3% |
| North Dakota | 0 | RTW | 7.2% |
| Ohio | 1 | Non-RTW | 13.4% |
| Oklahoma | 0 | RTW | 7.1% |
| Oregon | 1 | Non-RTW | 16.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | Non-RTW | 13.0% |
| Rhode Island | 1 | Non-RTW | 15.9% |
| South Carolina | 0 | RTW | 3.3% |
| South Dakota | 0 | RTW | 3.8% |
| Tennessee | 0 | RTW | 6.1% |
| Texas | 0 | RTW | 5.4% |
| Utah | 0 | RTW | 8.2% |
| Vermont | 1 | Non-RTW | 14.9% |
| Virginia | 0 | RTW | 5.6% |
| Washington | 1 | Non-RTW | 18.7% |
| West Virginia | 0 | RTW | 9.8% |
| Wisconsin | 0 | RTW | 7.7% |
| Wyoming | 0 | RTW | 7.0% |
Notes: Right-to-work status determined as of January 2026. Data refer to workers ages 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 2022 to 2025 for each state to give a more accurate estimate of states’ typical unionization rates in recent years.
Source: Author's analysis of "Right-to-Work States," National Conference of State Legislatures. Author's analysis of Economic Policy Institute, Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.1.16, https://microdata.epi.org.
This chart appears in:
- Illinois Worker Rights Amendment
- Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment sets new bar for state worker power policy: Other state legislatures should seize the moment to advance worker, racial, and gender justice in 2023
- Michigan RTW 2023
- Why ‘right-to-work’ was always wrong for Michigan: Restoring workers’ rights is key to reversing growing income inequality in Michigan
- Union members 2023
- Workers want unions, but the latest data point to obstacles in their path: Private-sector unionization rose by more than a quarter million in 2023, while unionization in state and local governments fell
- Data show anti-union ‘right-to-work’ laws damage state economies: As Michigan’s repeal takes effect, New Hampshire should continue to reject ‘right-to-work’ legislation
- It’s time for Colorado to remove barriers to unionization: Outdated “second election” rule is rooted in anti-worker, white supremacist history
- Virginia RTW charts
Previous chart: « As union membership declines, income inequality increases: Union membership and share of income going to the top 10%, 1917–present
Next chart: Union density is lower in RTW states: Union density rates in RTW and non-RTW states, 1983-2025 »