The percentage of workers who are members of a labor union is the lowest that has ever been recorded, according to recently released federal data.

Only 10.1% of workers belonged to a union in 2022. The percentage of private sector workers who are members of a labor union was 6.0%. The percentage of unionized public sector workers was also down, from 33.9% in 2021 to 33.1% last year.

These are the lowest numbers recorded since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing data on union membership. The information is gathered through survey data throughout the year. It has been collected since 1983.

The total number and percentage of union workers have been steadily declining for decades in the private sector. In the public sector – teachers, state and local government employees – the total number of unionized workers had been steadily rising, while the percentage remained steady.

That began changing around 2010. From 2011 to 2018, several states passed right-to-work laws. In 2018, a U.S. Supreme Court decision held that every government worker in the country has the right to withdraw from union membership. Since then, the percentage of public sector workers and total number has declined.

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