Wisconsin Saw the Second Largest Fall in Union Membership in the US – Down 35.3% Since 2013
- A new study reveals the states with the largest union membership increases and decreases since 2013, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
- Alaska was named the state with the largest drop in members, seeing a decrease of 26,000 members.
- The research also revealed Wisconsin saw the second largest decrease, seeing a loss of 112,000 members across the decade.
- Mississippi saw the largest jump in members from 2013 to 2023, with an additional 37,000 workers joining, followed by Arkansas and Vermont.
A new study has revealed the states with the largest increases and decreases in union members between 2013 and 2023. Wisconsin saw the second largest decrease, seeing a 35.3% fall in membership numbers since 2013.
The study, conducted by AI productivity platform Plus Docs, looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on union membership between 2013 and 2023. The total number of union members in each state was found alongside the percentage that this represented of all workers in the state. The percentage change for each state between the two periods was then calculated and ranked.
States with the Largest Increases and Decreases in Union Memberships
The study revealed Alaska saw the biggest drop in membership, with a 36.6% decline, meaning approximately one in three members are no longer part of the union. In total, Alaska saw 26,000 members leave, falling from 23.1% of workers being represented in 2013 to just 14.8% in 2023.
Following Alaska, Wisconsin ranks second with a decline of 35.3%. The state saw a total change of 112,000 members leaving unions, a drop from 12.3% to 7.4% of all workers in the state represented.
Ranking with the third biggest decrease is West Virginia, which saw a decrease of 31%. In the state, 8.7% of workers are currently represented by unions, down from 12.7% in 2013.
South Carolina places fourth with a decline of 29%. Here, the state has lost 20,000 members from unions over the last decade. According to the latest data, only 2.3% of all workers are union members, down from 3.7% in 2013. This rate sits 75% below average and is the lowest in the country.
Next in line, Iowa ranks fifth with a decrease of 25.2%, representing a loss of 36,000 workers. Iowa saw a loss of 36,000 employees from unions, now representing 7.2% of all workers, down from 10.1% just ten years earlier.
States with the Largest Decrease in Union Membership
| Rank | State | Union members 2013 | Percent of all employed | Union members 2023 | Percent of all employed | Total change | Percentage change |
| 1 | Alaska | 71,000 | 23.1 | 45,000 | 14.8 | -26,000 | -36.6% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 317,000 | 12.3 | 205,000 | 7.4 | -112,000 | -35.3% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 87,000 | 12.7 | 60,000 | 8.7 | -27,000 | -31.0% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 69,000 | 3.7 | 49,000 | 2.3 | -20,000 | -29.0% |
| 5 | Iowa | 143,000 | 10.1 | 107,000 | 7.2 | -36,000 | -25.2% |
| 6 | Alabama | 203,000 | 10.5 | 156,000 | 7.5 | -47,000 | -23.2% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 194,000 | 11.2 | 152,000 | 8.8 | -42,000 | -21.6% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 77,000 | 16.9 | 62,000 | 12.3 | -15,000 | -19.5% |
| 9 | Maine | 64,000 | 11.1 | 52,000 | 9.2 | -12,000 | -18.8% |
| 10 | Illinois | 851,000 | 15.8 | 708,000 | 12.8 | -143,000 | -16.8% |
Alabama ranks sixth with a total fall of 23.2%. Here, the state saw a drop of 47,000 workers represented by unions. With a similar number of members lost, Kentucky comes in seventh with a drop of 21.6%.
In eighth place is Rhode Island, where the state saw a 19.5% decrease in members. Maine follows them in ninth place, with a decrease of 18.8%.
Finishing off the list is Illinois. The state saw a decrease of 16.8% in numbers, losing 143,000 members between 2013 and 2023.
On the opposite end of the study, Mississippi saw the largest increase in union members, seeing a 97.4% increase from 2013. Data from the BLS shows there were 38,000 members in 2013, with this jumping to 75,000 last year – from 3.7% of all workers represented to 7% in 2023.
Arkansas had the second–largest jump after seeing a 63.2% increase. In 2023, there were 24,000 more workers in unions compared to 2013. In 2013, only 3.5% of all employees were part of a union, compared to 5.1% in 2023, representing 62,000 workers.
Vermont comes in third, with a 38.7% increase in members. In 2013, there were 31,000 union members, equaling 10.9% of all employees. As of the latest BLS data, this figure has jumped to 43,000 members, representing 14.3% of all workers.
States with the Largest Increase in Union Membership
|
Rank
|
State
|
Union members 2013
|
Percentage of all employed
|
Union members 2023
|
Percentage of all employed
|
Total change
|
Percentage change
|
|
1
|
Mississippi
|
38,000
|
3.7
|
75,000
|
7
|
+37,000
|
97.4%
|
|
2
|
Arkansas
|
38,000
|
3.5
|
62,000
|
5.1
|
+24,000
|
63.2%
|
|
3
|
Vermont
|
31,000
|
10.9
|
43,000
|
14.3
|
+12,000
|
38.7%
|
|
4
|
Utah
|
49,000
|
3.9
|
65,000
|
4.1
|
+16,000
|
32.7%
|
|
5
|
New Mexico
|
46,000
|
6.2
|
60,000
|
7.5
|
+14,000
|
30.4%
|
|
6
|
Kansas
|
94,000
|
7.5
|
120,000
|
8.9
|
+26,000
|
27.7%
|
|
7
|
Idaho
|
29,000
|
4.7
|
37,000
|
4.5
|
+8,000
|
27.6%
|
|
8
|
Connecticut
|
207,000
|
13.5
|
255,000
|
15.9
|
+48,000
|
23.2%
|
|
9
|
Oregon
|
208,000
|
13.9
|
255,000
|
14.1
|
+47,000
|
22.6%
|
|
10
|
Missouri
|
219,000
|
8.6
|
255,000
|
9.3
|
+36,000
|
16.4%
|
Overall, the average percentage of workers who are part of unions was at 9.4% across the US. Hawaii is currently the state with the largest portion of workers in a union at 24.1%, while South Carolina has the lowest figure at 2.3%.
Commenting on the findings, Daniel Li, CEO and Co–Founder of Plus Docs, said: “It’s interesting to see where states are seeing union memberships surge, especially as although there is a general increase in the South and Midwest, it is also true that neighboring states can see vastly different results.
“While Mississippi has nearly doubled its union membership, their neighbor, Alabama, has gone the opposite way. In fact, there are 18 states which have seen an overall decline in membership, with only two states keeping the same numbers.
“This could be from a range of factors, such as a younger workforce beginning their careers, who may be less likely to be part of a union than older employees, older generations retiring and no longer being members, or this could be due to state policies and legislation on unions. Whatever the reason, the study has highlighted an interesting disparity across the nation.”
-END-
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Sources
This piece was created using data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Methodology
-
1. Data on the number of union members and this figure as a percentage of working adults from the above sources were compiled into a database for each state from 2013 to 2023.
-
2. The total change between the two years was then calculated as a percentage.
-
3. Each state was then ranked according to the percentage change between years, with the highest positive change ranked number one.
Bottom 10 States, Ranked
| Rank | State | Union members 2013 | Percentage of all employed | Union members 2023 | Percentage of all employed | Total change | Percentage change |
| 1 | Alaska | 71,000 | 23.1 | 45,000 | 14.8 | -26,000 | -36.60% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 317,000 | 12.3 | 205,000 | 7.4 | -112,000 | -35.30% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 87,000 | 12.7 | 60,000 | 8.7 | -27,000 | -31.00% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 69,000 | 3.7 | 49,000 | 2.3 | -20,000 | -29.00% |
| 5 | Iowa | 143,000 | 10.1 | 107,000 | 7.2 | -36,000 | -25.20% |
| 6 | Alabama | 203,000 | 10.5 | 156,000 | 7.5 | -47,000 | -23.20% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 194,000 | 11.2 | 152,000 | 8.8 | -42,000 | -21.60% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 77,000 | 16.9 | 62,000 | 12.3 | -15,000 | -19.50% |
| 9 | Maine | 64,000 | 11.1 | 52,000 | 9.2 | -12,000 | -18.80% |
| 10 | Illinois | 851,000 | 15.8 | 708,000 | 12.8 | -143,000 | -16.80% |
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
