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Technical information: (202) 691-6378
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
Media contact:

691-5902

USDL 03-88
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Tuesday, February 25, 2003

UNION MEMBERS IN 2002

In 2002, 13.2 percent of wage and salary workers were union members, down
from 13.4 percent (as revised) in 2001, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau
of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of persons belonging to a
union fell by 280,000 over the year to 16.1 million in 2002. The union membership rate has steadily declined from a high of 20.1 percent in 1983, the
first year for which comparable union data are available. Some highlights
from the 2002 data are:
--Men were more likely to be union members than women.
--The union membership rate for blacks was unchanged and remained higher
than the rates for either whites or Hispanics.
--Nearly 4 in 10 government workers were union members in 2002, compared
with less than 1 in 10 workers in private-sector industries. The transportation industry had the highest private-sector rate of unionization.
--Nearly two-fifths of workers in protective service occupations were
union members in 2002. Protective service occupations include firefighters and police officers. This group has had the highest union
membership rate of any broad occupation group in every year since 1983.
Membership by Industry and Occupation
In 2002, workers in the public sector had a union membership rate over
four times that of private-sector employees, 37.5 percent compared with
8.5 percent. The unionization rate for government workers has held steady
since 1983. The rate for private industry workers has fallen by nearly
half over the same time period. Within government, local government
workers had the highest union membership rate, 42.8 percent. This group
includes the heavily unionized occupations of teachers, police officers,
and firefighters. Among private industries, transportation had the highest union membership rate, at 23.8 percent. Construction and durable goods
manufacturing also had higher-than-average rates, at 17.2 percent and
15.6 percent, respectively. The industry with the lowest unionization rate
in 2002 was finance, insurance, and real estate--1.9 percent. (See table 3.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Changes in Union Membership Estimates
|
|
Estimates for 2001 and 2002 presented in this release are based on
|
Census 2000 population controls. Consequently, the estimates for
|
2001 appearing in this release may differ from those published earlier,|
which were based on population controls derived from the 1990 census. |
In addition, the data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor
|
change to the allocation procedure for that item. The change in proce-|
dure had a small effect on the estimates. Estimates for 2001 and 2002 |
are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years. For fur-|
ther information on these changes, see the Technical Note.
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

- 2 Among occupational groups, protective service workers continued to have
the highest unionization rate in 2002, at 37.0 percent. Precision production, craft, and repair workers and operators, fabricators, and laborers also
had higher-than-average union membership rates at 20.7 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively. Workers in these occupations typically are employed in
the highly unionized industries of manufacturing and construction. Professional specialty workers, a group that includes teachers, also had a higherthan-average union membership rate in 2002, at 19.2 percent. Sales occupations had the lowest unionization rate--3.6 percent. (See table 3.)
Demographic Characteristics of Union Members
In 2002, union membership rates were higher for men (14.7 percent) than
for women (11.6 percent). The union membership rate for men fell from
15.0 percent in 2001, while the rate for women was unchanged. The gap between men's and women's rates has narrowed considerably since 1983, when
the rate for men was 10 percentage points higher than the rate for women.
Blacks were more likely to be union members (16.9 percent) than either
whites (12.8 percent) or Hispanics (10.5 percent). Black men had the highest
unionization rate (18.2 percent) among the major demographic groups, and
Hispanic women and white women had the lowest rates, 9.8 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively. Union membership rates were highest among workers between the ages of 45 to 54 years. Full-time workers were more than twice
as likely as part-time workers to be union members. (See table 1.)
Union Representation of Nonmembers
About 1.7 million wage and salary workers were represented by a union

on their main job in 2002, while not being union members themselves. (See
table 1.) Over half of these workers were employed in government and about
20 percent worked in the services industry. (See table 3.)
Earnings
In 2002, full-time wage and salary workers who were union members had
median usual weekly earnings of $740, compared with a median of $587 for
wage and salary workers who were not represented by unions. (See table 2.)
The difference reflects a variety of influences in addition to coverage by
a collective bargaining agreement, including variations in the distributions
of union members and nonunion employees by occupation, industry, firm size,
or geographic region. (For a discussion of the problem of differentiating
between the influence of unionization status and the influence of other worker
characteristics on employee earnings, see "Measuring union-nonunion earnings
differences," Monthly Labor Review, June 1990.)
Union Membership by State
Union membership rates in many states also declined slightly in 2002,
with 33 states and the District of Columbia reporting lower membership
rates and 15 states registering increases. Two states reported no change
- 3 in their union membership rates from 2001 to 2002. Twenty-eight states had
union membership rates below that of the U.S., while 21 states and the
District of Columbia had higher rates. Once again, all states in the East
North Central, Middle Atlantic, and Pacific divisions had union membership
rates above the national average of 13.2 percent, while all states in the
East South Central and West South Central divisions had rates below it.
(See table 5.)
Four states had union membership rates over 20.0 percent in 2002--New
York (25.3 percent), Hawaii (24.4 percent), Alaska (24.3 percent), and
Michigan (21.1 percent). This is the same rank order as in 2001. All
four states have had rates above 20.0 percent every year since data became
regularly available in 1995. North Carolina and South Carolina also continued to report the lowest union membership rates, 3.2 percent and
4.9 percent, respectively. These two states have had the lowest union
membership rates each year since the state series became available.
The largest numbers of union members lived in California (2.5 million),
New York (2.0 million), and Illinois (1.1 million). Over half (8.1 million)
of the 16.1 million union members in the U.S. lived in six states, although
these states accounted for only 35 percent of wage and salary employment

nationally.
The number of union members in a state depends on both its population
size and union membership rate. Texas (the second most populous state) had
less than one-fourth as many union members as New York (the third largest),
despite having nearly 1.0 million more wage and salary employees. Similarly,
Florida (the fourth largest state) and Indiana (the fourteenth) had virtually
the same number of union members, even though Florida's wage and salary employment level was more than double that of Indiana.

Technical Note

The estimates in this release are obtained from the Current Population
Survey (CPS), which provides the basic information on the labor force,
employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the
Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau from a scientifically
selected national sample of about 60,000 households. The union membership
and earnings data are tabulated from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample
and are limited to wage and salary workers. Excluded are all self-employed
workers.
The estimates for 2001 and 2002 presented in this release incorporate
two changes. Consequently, the estimates for 2001 appearing in this release may differ from those previously published, and the estimates for
2001 and 2002 are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years.
One change is the use of Census 2000-based population controls in the
estimation process for both the 2001 and 2002 data. Sample results from
the CPS are weighted up to independent estimates of the population by sex,
age, race, and Hispanic/non-Hispanic origin. The weights, or population
controls, are developed using counts of the civilian noninstitutional
population derived from the decennial census and are updated using information from administrative records. Previously published estimates of
union membership in 2001 were based on population controls from the 1990
census. For a discussion of the introduction of Census 2000 population
controls and the impact their introduction had on CPS data, see "Revisions
to the Current Population Survey Effective in January 2003" in the February
2003 issue of Employment and Earnings and available at
http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf on the BLS Web site.

Second, the data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change
to the allocation procedure for that item. The change in procedure had a
small effect on the estimates.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200, TDD message referral
phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling
error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there
is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending upon the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent
chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ
by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value because
of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent
level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error
can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of
the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the
sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and
information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and
Estimates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings.
Definitions
The principal definitions used in this release are described briefly
below.
Union members. Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee
association similar to a union.
Represented by unions. Data refer to union members, as well as workers
who have no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an
employee association contract.
Usual weekly earnings. Data represent earnings before taxes and other
deductions and include any overtime pay, commissions, or tips usually
received (at the main job in the case of multiple jobholders). Prior to

1994, respondents were asked how much they usually earned per week. Since
January 1994, respondents have been asked to identify the easiest way for
them to report earnings (hourly, weekly, biweekly, twice monthly, monthly,
annually, other) and how much they usually earn in the reported time
period. Earnings reported on a basis other than weekly are converted to a
weekly equivalent. The term "usual" is as perceived by the respondent. If
the respondent asks for a definition of usual, interviewers are instructed
to define the term as more than half the weeks worked during the past 4 or
5 months.
Median earnings. The median is the amount which divides a given earnings
distribution into two equal groups, one having earnings above the median and
the other having earnings below the median.
The estimating procedure places each reported or calculated weekly earnings
value into $50-wide intervals which are centered around multiples of $50. The
actual value is estimated through the linear interpolation of the interval in
which the median lies.
Wage and salary workers. Workers who receive wages, salaries, commissions,
tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group includes employees in both
the private and public sectors but, for the purposes of the union membership
and earnings series, excludes all self-employed persons, regardless of whether
or not their businesses are incorporated.
Full-time workers. Workers who usually work 35 hours or more per week
at their sole or principal job.
Part-time workers. Workers who usually work fewer than 35 hours per
week at their sole or principal job.
Hispanic origin. Refers to persons who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic origin or descent.
Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race; hence, they are included
in the numbers for the white and black populations.

Table 1. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by selected characteristics
(Numbers in thousands)

2001

2002

Members of
unions(1)
Characteristic

Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

Members of
unions(1)
Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

SEX AND AGE
Total, 16 years and over................... 122,482
16 to 24 years............................ 19,698
25 years and over......................... 102,784
25 to 34 years........................... 28,809
35 to 44 years........................... 31,962
45 to 54 years........................... 26,909
55 to 64 years........................... 12,032
65 years and over........................
3,072

16,387
1,015
15,372
3,264
4,733
5,068
2,063
243

13.4
5.2
15.0
11.3
14.8
18.8
17.1
7.9

18,114
1,184
16,930
3,659
5,191
5,543
2,265
272

14.8
6.0
16.5
12.7
16.2
20.6
18.8
8.9

122,007
19,258
102,748
28,251
31,296
27,086
12,982
3,133

16,107
985
15,122
3,164
4,442
5,011
2,257
247

13.2
5.1
14.7
11.2
14.2
18.5
17.4
7.9

17,771
1,132
16,639
3,540
4,876
5,470
2,469
284

14.6
5.9
16.2
12.5
15.6
20.2
19.0
9.1

Men, 16 years and over....................
16 to 24 years...........................
25 years and over........................
25 to 34 years..........................
35 to 44 years..........................
45 to 54 years..........................
55 to 64 years..........................
65 years and over.......................

63,756
10,137
53,619
15,627
16,657
13,561
6,168
1,605

9,578
607
8,971
1,983
2,821
2,840
1,195
131

15.0
6.0
16.7
12.7
16.9
20.9
19.4
8.1

10,410
704
9,706
2,169
3,028
3,070
1,292
148

16.3
6.9
18.1
13.9
18.2
22.6
20.9
9.2

63,383
9,862
53,521
15,297
16,390
13,611
6,593
1,630

9,335
610
8,724
1,878
2,632
2,793
1,285
136

14.7
6.2
16.3
12.3
16.1
20.5
19.5
8.3

10,135
691
9,444
2,075
2,821
3,006
1,386
156

16.0
7.0
17.6
13.6
17.2
22.1
21.0
9.5

Women, 16 years and over..................
16 to 24 years...........................
25 years and over........................
25 to 34 years..........................
35 to 44 years..........................
45 to 54 years..........................
55 to 64 years..........................
65 years and over.......................

58,726
9,561
49,166
13,181
15,305
13,349
5,864
1,467

6,809
409
6,400
1,281
1,912
2,227
868
113

11.6
4.3
13.0
9.7
12.5
16.7
14.8
7.7

7,704
480
7,224
1,490
2,163
2,474
973
124

13.1
5.0
14.7
11.3
14.1
18.5
16.6
8.5

58,624
9,397
49,227
12,954
14,906
13,474
6,390
1,503

6,772
375
6,398
1,285
1,810
2,218
972
112

11.6
4.0
13.0
9.9
12.1
16.5
15.2
7.4

7,636
441
7,195
1,465
2,055
2,464
1,083
128

13.0
4.7
14.6
11.3
13.8
18.3
17.0
8.5

White, 16 years and over.................. 101,546
Men..................................... 53,731
Women................................... 47,815

13,209
7,909
5,300

13.0
14.7
11.1

14,574
8,585
5,989

14.4
16.0
12.5

101,081
53,304
47,776

12,929
7,699
5,230

12.8
14.4
10.9

14,227
8,334
5,893

14.1
15.6
12.3

RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX

Black, 16 years and over..................
Men.....................................
Women...................................

14,261
6,488
7,773

2,409
1,221
1,188

16.9
18.8
15.3

2,668
1,330
1,338

18.7
20.5
17.2

14,127
6,499
7,628

2,383
1,184
1,198

16.9
18.2
15.7

2,648
1,297
1,351

18.7
20.0
17.7

Hispanic origin, 16 years and over........
Men.....................................
Women...................................

15,174
8,997
6,177

1,679
1,032
647

11.1
11.5
10.5

1,876
1,136
740

12.4
12.6
12.0

15,522
9,130
6,392

1,637
1,012
625

10.5
11.1
9.8

1,822
1,113
709

11.7
12.2
11.1

Full-time workers......................... 101,187
Part-time workers......................... 21,057

14,921
1,437

14.7
6.8

16,445
1,637

16.3
7.8

100,201
21,573

14,591
1,484

14.6
6.9

16,077
1,658

16.0
7.7

FULL- OR PART-TIME STATUS(3)

1 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
2 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no
union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.
3 The distinction between full- and part-time workers is based on hours usually worked. Beginning in 1994, these data
will not sum to totals because full- or part-time status on the principal job is not identifiable for a small number of
multiple jobholders.
NOTE: Data for 2001 have been revised to reflect the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls. In addition,
data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change to the allocation procedure for that item. The change in
procedure had a small effect on the estimates. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time workers.
Excluded are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated. Detail for the above
race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and
Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.

Table 2. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation and selected characteristics

2001

Characteristic
Total

SEX AND AGE

Members
of
unions(1)

Represented
by
unions(2)

2002

Nonunion

Total

Members
of
unions(1)

Represented
by
unions(2)

Nonunion

Total, 16 years and over...................
16 to 24 years............................
25 years and over.........................
25 to 34 years...........................
35 to 44 years...........................
45 to 54 years...........................
55 to 64 years...........................
65 years and over........................

$595
375
629
576
655
691
641
472

$717
471
732
654
742
775
745
607

$711
473
727
645
736
773
744
604

$573
368
610
559
634
661
614
441

$609
381
647
591
669
707
673
502

$740
497
753
682
759
789
787
592

$734
494
748
670
753
787
784
594

$587
374
623
577
647
675
639
484

Men, 16 years and over....................
16 to 24 years...........................
25 years and over........................
25 to 34 years..........................
35 to 44 years..........................
45 to 54 years..........................
55 to 64 years..........................
65 years and over.......................

668
390
718
616
752
797
767
550

764
481
779
697
798
811
800
693

759
485
777
688
793
811
807
709

642
384
700
605
741
788
749
522

680
392
732
627
759
808
799
583

780
498
797
722
810
831
836
610

776
494
793
710
806
831
838
616

652
385
713
614
747
796
779
576

Women, 16 years and over..................
16 to 24 years...........................
25 years and over........................
25 to 34 years..........................
35 to 44 years..........................
45 to 54 years..........................
55 to 64 years..........................
65 years and over.......................

511
353
541
513
544
587
539
372

643
456
655
600
641
720
656
494

638
455
651
597
639
715
658
483

493
348
518
502
522
553
512
359

530
366
570
531
573
603
574
428

667
495
679
624
669
730
706
550

662
494
674
619
666
726
705
551

510
361
542
517
548
581
542
414

White, 16 years and over..................
Men.....................................
Women...................................

610
688
521

739
782
666

734
779
660

589
663
503

624
702
549

763
804
695

757
801
688

602
674
521

Black, 16 years and over..................
Men.....................................
Women...................................

486
517
452

604
651
563

598
637
563

462
497
424

498
523
474

615
651
588

610
640
588

477
502
445

Hispanic origin, 16 years and over........
Men.....................................
Women...................................

413
433
385

575
606
500

572
605
499

398
413
371

423
449
396

623
666
558

617
656
569

408
422
381

RACE, HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND SEX

1 Data refer to
2 Data refer to
union affiliation
NOTE: Data for

members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no
but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.
2001 have been revised to reflect the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls. In addition,

the data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change to the allocation procedure for
procedure had a neligible affect on the estimates. Data refer to the sole or principal job of
are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.
Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not
included in both the white and black population groups.

that item. The change in
full-time workers. Excluded
Detail for the above race and
presented and Hispanics are

Table 3. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by occupation and industry
(Numbers in thousands)

2001

Members of
unions(1)
Occupation and industry

Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

2002

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

Members of
unions(1)
Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

OCCUPATION
Managerial and professional specialty.......
Executive, administrative, and managerial.
Professional specialty....................

36,660
17,075
19,585

4,665
945
3,720

12.7
5.5
19.0

5,417
1,148
4,269

14.8
6.7
21.8

36,969
17,296
19,674

4,788
1,005
3,783

13.0
5.8
19.2

5,534
1,223
4,310

15.0
7.1
21.9

Technical, sales, and administrative support
Technicians and related support...........
Sales occupations.........................
Administrative support, including clerical

36,335
4,448
13,749
18,138

3,208
474
480
2,253

8.8
10.7
3.5
12.4

3,632
537
549
2,545

10.0
12.1
4.0
14.0

35,767
4,349
13,810
17,607

3,175
469
496
2,210

8.9
10.8
3.6
12.5

3,552
524
559
2,469

9.9
12.0
4.0
14.0

Service occupations.........................
Protective service........................
Service, except protective service........

17,434
2,482
14,952

2,296
936
1,360

13.2
37.7
9.1

2,504
1,004
1,500

14.4
40.5
10.0

17,898
2,584
15,314

2,249
957
1,293

12.6
37.0
8.4

2,473
1,021
1,452

13.8
39.5
9.5

Precision production, craft, and repair.....

12,886

2,740

21.3

2,874

22.3

12,413

2,570

20.7

2,686

21.6

Operators, fabricators, and laborers........
Machine operators, assemblers, and
inspectors...............................
Transportation and material moving
occupations..............................
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and
laborers.................................

17,250

3,394

19.7

3,590

20.8

16,901

3,235

19.1

3,422

20.3

6,676

1,338

20.0

1,413

21.2

6,269

1,184

18.9

1,244

19.8

5,226

1,215

23.2

1,292

24.7

5,294

1,163

22.0

1,241

23.4

5,347

841

15.7

885

16.6

5,338

888

16.6

938

17.6

Farming, forestry, and fishing..............

1,917

83

4.3

98

5.1

2,058

89

4.3

104

5.1

Private wage and salary workers............. 103,142
Agriculture...............................
1,725
Nonagricultural industries................ 101,417
Mining..................................
531
Construction............................
7,054

9,201
27
9,174
66
1,275

8.9
1.6
9.0
12.4
18.1

10,028
36
9,993
70
1,321

9.7
2.1
9.9
13.1
18.7

102,419
1,819
100,598
458
6,883

8,756
42
8,714
39
1,184

8.5
2.3
8.7
8.5
17.2

9,548
48
9,501
46
1,228

9.3
2.6
9.4
10.0
17.8

INDUSTRY

Manufacturing...........................
Durable goods.........................
Nondurable goods......................

18,501
11,252
7,249

2,697
1,690
1,008

14.6
15.0
13.9

2,861
1,787
1,073

15.5
15.9
14.8

17,324
10,344
6,979

2,484
1,612
872

14.3
15.6
12.5

2,621
1,687
935

15.1
16.3
13.4

Transportation and public utilities.....
Transportation........................
Communications and public utilities...

7,502
4,501
3,001

1,752
1,077
675

23.4
23.9
22.5

1,851
1,140
711

24.7
25.3
23.7

7,432
4,524
2,908

1,712
1,078
634

23.0
23.8
21.8

1,810
1,133
677

24.3
25.0
23.3

Wholesale and retail trade..............
Wholesale trade.......................
Retail trade..........................

25,354
4,615
20,740

1,182
254
928

4.7
5.5
4.5

1,298
273
1,025

5.1
5.9
4.9

25,475
4,514
20,961

1,134
220
914

4.5
4.9
4.4

1,256
238
1,018

4.9
5.3
4.9

Finance, insurance, and real estate.....
Services................................

7,742
34,733

156
2,046

2.0
5.9

217
2,376

2.8
6.8

7,849
35,178

151
2,011

1.9
5.7

196
2,344

2.5
6.7

Government workers..........................
Federal...................................
State.....................................
Local.....................................

19,340
3,324
5,729
10,287

7,186
1,046
1,737
4,403

37.2
31.5
30.3
42.8

8,086
1,221
1,980
4,885

41.8
36.8
34.6
47.5

19,588
3,296
5,706
10,585

7,351
1,063
1,758
4,530

37.5
32.3
30.8
42.8

8,223
1,244
2,005
4,974

42.0
37.7
35.1
47.0

1 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
2 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no
union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.
NOTE: Data for 2001 have been revised to reflect the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls. In addition,
data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change to the allocation procedure for that item. The change in
procedure had a small effect on the estimates. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time workers.
Excluded are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Table 4. Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by union affiliation, occupation, and industry

2001

Occupation and industry

2002

Total

Members
of
unions(1)

Represented
by
unions(2)

Nonunion

Total

Members
of
unions(1)

Represented
by
unions(2)

Nonunion

Managerial and professional specialty.......
Executive, administrative, and managerial.
Professional specialty....................

$859
865
854

$865
869
864

$860
881
855

$859
863
854

$884
890
879

$890
892
889

$884
903
880

$884
889
879

Technical, sales, and administrative support
Technicians and related support...........
Sales occupations.........................
Administrative support, including clerical

521
673
574
486

614
731
557
598

606
737
554
588

513
663
575
472

550
694
601
503

633
775
572
613

625
762
570
609

536
682
601
490

Service occupations.........................
Protective service........................
Service, except protective service........

377
628
345

553
807
426

546
794
423

351
518
333

384
647
352

595
820
448

585
811
445

358
519
341

Precision production, craft, and repair.....

624

821

815

588

629

821

814

590

Operators, fabricators, and laborers........
Machine operators, assemblers, and
inspectors...............................
Transportation and material moving
occupations..............................
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and

464

618

611

424

482

635

627

445

454

585

579

419

474

616

608

440

572

722

714

520

579

728

716

525

laborers..............................

387

529

522

368

400

555

549

381

Farming, forestry, and fishing..............

351

588

580

342

363

548

524

357

OCCUPATION

INDUSTRY
Private wage and salary workers.............
Agriculture...............................
Nonagricultural industries................
Mining..................................
Construction............................

578
368
582
791
605

682
(3)
683
815
865

674
(3)
675
815
853

563
367
569
784
562

591
372
595
822
599

701
(3)
702
(3)
845

691
(3)
692
(3)
836

581
371
585
825
559

Manufacturing...........................
Durable goods.........................
Nondurable goods......................

610
631
580

642
674
604

638
668
602

604
622
573

624
647
595

654
675
613

653
673
614

619
640
591

Transportation and public utilities.....
Transportation........................
Communications and public utilities...

704
643
793

796
781
816

791
775
813

668
609
781

707
642
810

810
782
857

805
778
850

664
605
785

Wholesale and retail trade..............
Wholesale trade.......................
Retail trade..........................

466
622
420

539
653
494

525
659
486

462
620
417

480
626
434

552
664
505

540
659
497

477
623
430

Finance, insurance, and real estate.....
Services................................

655
579

587
598

598
597

657
578

676
596

598
650

601
645

681
593

Government workers..........................
Federal...................................
State.....................................
Local.....................................

684
771
650
667

753
761
718
764

748
767
712
755

620
775
610
580

708
795
675
688

770
780
738
782

767
788
735
773

640
809
631
597

1 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
2 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no
union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.
3 Data not shown where base is less than 50,000.
NOTE: Data for 2001 have been revised to reflect the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls. In addition,
the data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change to the allocation procedure for that item. The change in
procedure had a neligible affect on the estimates. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full-time workers. Excluded
are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.

Table 5. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by state
(Numbers in thousands)

2001

Members of
unions(1)
State

Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

2002

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

Members of
unions(1)
Total
employed
Total

Percent
of
employed

Represented
by unions(2)

Total

Percent
of
employed

Alabama...................................
Alaska....................................
Arizona...................................
Arkansas..................................
California................................
Colorado..................................
Connecticut...............................
Delaware..................................
District of Columbia......................
Florida...................................

1,803
268
2,174
1,036
14,219
1,990
1,555
375
262
6,760

169
58
127
65
2,299
173
246
46
42
425

9.4
21.7
5.9
6.3
16.2
8.7
15.8
12.1
16.2
6.3

194
66
141
80
2,526
203
260
50
54
572

10.7
24.7
6.5
7.8
17.8
10.2
16.7
13.3
20.6
8.5

1,761
262
2,184
1,064
13,983
1,999
1,534
369
260
6,697

157
64
120
63
2,454
157
257
41
36
380

8.9
24.3
5.5
5.9
17.5
7.8
16.7
11.1
13.8
5.7

185
70
144
73
2,639
180
273
45
46
507

10.5
26.7
6.6
6.8
18.9
9.0
17.8
12.1
17.8
7.6

Georgia...................................
Hawaii....................................
Idaho.....................................
Illinois..................................
Indiana...................................
Iowa......................................
Kansas....................................
Kentucky..................................
Louisiana.................................
Maine.....................................

3,652
522
551
5,613
2,761
1,365
1,200
1,665
1,729
569

259
123
41
1,016
395
175
111
189
131
73

7.1
23.7
7.5
18.1
14.3
12.8
9.3
11.3
7.6
12.9

301
136
48
1,083
424
209
139
208
175
83

8.2
26.0
8.7
19.3
15.4
15.3
11.6
12.5
10.1
14.6

3,643
492
547
5,450
2,826
1,395
1,217
1,639
1,649
582

218
120
39
1,066
376
155
99
164
134
75

6.0
24.4
7.1
19.6
13.3
11.1
8.2
10.0
8.1
12.9

256
125
48
1,122
411
190
120
184
170
88

7.0
25.4
8.9
20.6
14.5
13.6
9.9
11.2
10.3
15.1

Maryland..................................
Massachusetts.............................
Michigan..................................
Minnesota.................................
Mississippi...............................
Missouri..................................
Montana...................................
Nebraska..................................
Nevada....................................
New Hampshire.............................

2,426
2,940
4,488
2,432
1,099
2,570
362
789
954
609

335
433
975
428
61
365
48
61
162
61

13.8
14.7
21.7
17.6
5.5
14.2
13.2
7.7
17.0
10.0

408
468
1,016
445
99
395
54
86
175
70

16.8
15.9
22.6
18.3
9.0
15.4
15.0
10.9
18.4
11.4

2,460
3,003
4,335
2,503
1,052
2,514
362
793
971
613

346
428
914
439
69
332
51
63
147
60

14.1
14.2
21.1
17.6
6.6
13.2
14.1
7.9
15.2
9.7

415
469
953
457
84
366
56
88
162
69

16.9
15.6
22.0
18.3
8.0
14.5
15.5
11.1
16.7
11.2

New Jersey................................
New Mexico................................
New York..................................
North Carolina............................
North Dakota..............................
Ohio......................................
Oklahoma..................................
Oregon....................................
Pennsylvania..............................
Rhode Island..............................

3,833
721
7,802
3,521
293
5,135
1,391
1,463
5,366
466

746
57
2,063
129
22
909
117
229
910
83

19.5
7.8
26.4
3.7
7.5
17.7
8.4
15.6
17.0
17.8

798
68
2,152
151
25
982
130
247
984
86

20.8
9.4
27.6
4.3
8.6
19.1
9.3
16.9
18.3
18.5

3,870
723
7,844
3,427
291
5,123
1,421
1,460
5,452
471

749
48
1,987
111
24
858
127
227
847
81

19.4
6.6
25.3
3.2
8.1
16.7
8.9
15.5
15.5
17.2

799
63
2,088
138
28
918
150
242
907
84

20.6
8.7
26.6
4.0
9.8
17.9
10.6
16.6
16.6
17.9

South Carolina............................
South Dakota..............................
Tennessee.................................
Texas.....................................
Utah......................................
Vermont...................................
Virginia..................................
Washington................................
West Virginia.............................
Wisconsin.................................
Wyoming...................................

1,623
339
2,421
8,872
971
283
3,233
2,487
719
2,587
221

73
20
185
489
66
31
163
460
105
420
20

4.5
6.0
7.6
5.5
6.8
10.8
5.0
18.5
14.6
16.2
8.9

91
26
211
591
75
35
209
498
115
448
25

5.6
7.6
8.7
6.7
7.8
12.3
6.5
20.0
16.0
17.3
11.1

1,643
350
2,466
8,818
973
289
3,208
2,553
693
2,554
219

81
19
222
451
60
27
189
471
92
398
17

4.9
5.6
9.0
5.1
6.2
9.5
5.9
18.4
13.3
15.6
7.8

101
24
258
571
73
32
249
512
97
420
22

6.1
6.9
10.5
6.5
7.5
11.0
7.8
20.0
14.0
16.4
9.8

1 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union.
2 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union as well as workers who report no
union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract.
NOTE: Data for 2001 have been revised to reflect the introduction of Census 2000-based population controls. In
addition, data on "represented by unions" incorporate a minor change to the allocation procedure for that item. The change
in procedure had a small effect on the estimates. Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time workers.
Excluded are all self-employed workers regardless of whether or not their businesses are incorporated.