Workers participating in NLRB elections as a share of nonagricultural employment, 1951–2009

FY Year Workers eligible in all elections Workers eligible in elections won by union
1951 1.59% 1.21%
1952 1.81% 1.37%
1953 1.72% 1.36%
1954 1.21% 0.81%
1955 1.11% 0.81%
1956 1.02% 0.64%
1957 1.00% 0.58%
1958 0.77% 0.43%
1959 0.89% 0.53%
1960 1.02% 0.60%
1961 0.96% 0.49%
1962 1.11% 0.63%
1963 0.89% 0.53%
1964 1.06% 0.57%
1965 1.02% 0.63%
1966 1.06% 0.60%
1967 1.10% 0.63%
1968 0.94% 0.48%
1969 0.98% 0.49%
1970 1.01% 0.53%
1971 0.95% 0.45%
1972 0.94% 0.47%
1973 0.82% 0.35%
1974 0.80% 0.29%
1975 0.87% 0.33%
1976 0.68% 0.24%
1977 0.78% 0.30%
1978 0.60% 0.22%
1979 0.73% 0.26%
1980 0.65% 0.24%
1981 0.54% 0.19%
1982 0.33% 0.11%
1983 0.22% 0.10%
1984 0.26% 0.12%
1985 0.26% 0.10%
1986 0.26% 0.09%
1987 0.24% 0.10%
1988 0.24% 0.10%
1989 0.28% 0.11%
1990 0.26% 0.09%
1991 0.22% 0.08%
1992 0.21% 0.08%
1993 0.23% 0.10%
1994 0.20% 0.08%
1995 0.20% 0.08%
1996 0.20% 0.07%
1997 0.22% 0.09%
1998 0.23% 0.09%
1999 0.22% 0.10%
2000 0.22% 0.10%
2001 0.19% 0.08%
2002 0.16% 0.07%
2003 0.16% 0.07%
2004 0.15% 0.07%
2005 0.14% 0.06%
2006 0.11% 0.06%
2007 0.09% 0.05%
2008 0.10% 0.06%
2009 0.07% 0.05%

Source: Authors' analysis of National Labor Relations Board annual reports, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

View the underlying data on epi.org.