US Private Sector
Trade Union Market Share Loss
Continues 40 Years Uninterrupted
HIGHLIGHTS
- Data released 19 January 2000 by the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that US
private sector trade union membership (1998) has dropped to 9.4 percent of private non-agricultural employment.
This represents a continuation of a trend begun in the 1950s. According to data available, the last increase
in trade union market share was in 1958.
- However, private sector union membership rose 113,000 to 9,419,000, the highest level since 1994. The
last increase in private sector trade union membership growth was also 1993 to 1994.
- Private sector trade union membership remains below levels achieved in the early 1940s, during the rapid
period of membership growth attributable to the Wagner Act (1935 to 1955).
- The 1999 market share represents a 5.0 percent market share loss from 1998, an acceleration from the 3.1 percent loss rate of 1997 to 1998.
- Private sector union membership was last below 9.4 percent in 1902, when it was 9.3 percent.
|
US Private Sector Trade Union
Membership: From 1900 |
| Year |
Union Members
(000) |
Market
Share |
| 1900 |
917 |
6.5% |
| 1905 |
1,923 |
11.1% |
| 1910 |
2,109 |
10.5% |
| 1915 |
2,508 |
12.2% |
| 1920 |
4,664 |
19.2% |
| 1925 |
3,495 |
13.2% |
| 1930 |
3,482 |
13.3% |
| 1935 |
3,337 |
14.2% |
| 1940 |
6,848 |
24.3% |
| 1945 |
11,674 |
33.9% |
| 1950 |
13,550 |
34.6% |
| 1955 |
15,341 |
35.1% |
| 1960 |
16,907 |
37.0% |
| 1965 |
16,906 |
33.5% |
| 1970 |
18,295 |
31.0% |
| 1975 |
18,210 |
28.5% |
| 1980 |
15,273 |
20.6% |
| 1985 |
11,226 |
14.6% |
| 1990 |
10,247 |
12.1% |
| 1991 |
9,898 |
11.9% |
| 1992 |
9,703 |
11.5% |
| 1993 |
9,554 |
11.2% |
| 1994 |
9,620 |
10.9% |
| 1995 |
9,400 |
10.4% |
| 1996 |
9,385 |
10.2% |
| 1997 |
9,363 |
9.8% |
| 1998 |
9,306 |
9.5% |
1999 |
9,419 |
9.4% |
Sources
US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
Leo Troy & Neil Sheflin, Union Sourcebook
US Census Bureau
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