Union members represented 8.7% of workforce in Wisconsin last year, BLS reports

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin workers who are labor union members numbered 227,000 in 2020, or 8.7% of the workforce, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The percentage of union members in the state’s workforce was the 27th highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The total number of workers in Wisconsin last year, when the coronavirus pandemic was under way, was 2,592,000, according to the BLS study.

Nationwide, the share of wage and salary employees who were union members in 2020 was 10.8%, a percentage point increase of 0.5 compared to 2019, the BLS reported. The percentage of unionized public-sector workers (34.8%) is more than five times greater than that of private-sector workers (6.3%), the study said.

Unionization rates were highest in protective security services, schooling, training and library jobs, the BLS reported. And on average, union members make $1,144 per week, compared to $958 for nonunion workers, according to the study.

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2019-2020 Labor Union Membership by State

StateTotal Employed in 2019 (in Thousands)# of Union Members in 2019 (in Thousands)% of Union Members in 2019 Total Employed in 2020 (in Thousands)# of Union Members in 2020 (in Thousands)% of Union Members in 2020Rank Based on % of Union Members in 2020Hawaii57413523.5%50812023.7%1New York8,2531,73221.0%7,5521,66122.0%2Rhode Island4758317.4%4558117.8%3Alaska2824817.1%2804917.7%4Washington3,39363818.8%3,20155717.4%5Connecticut1,68024414.5%1,53326217.1%6California16,4852,50415.2%15,0692,44116.2%7 (tie)Oregon1,77225514.4%1,69427516.2%7 (tie)New Jersey4,09464215.7%3,71960016.1%9Minnesota2,66236413.7%2,51539815.8%10Michigan4,32358913.6%3,97460415.2%11Maine5886911.8%5598214.7%12Illinois5,65877113.6%5,17873914.3%13Pennsylvania5,64267612.0%5,30771713.5%14Nevada1,37920114.6%1,20816113.4%15Ohio5,12761011.9%4,81563713.2%16Maryland2,91233011.3%2,69035113.1%17Massachusetts3,39740612.0%2,98235712.0%18 (tie)Montana4374610.5%4195012.0%18 (tie)Vermont2903311.2%2653111.8%20West Virginia7047210.2%6667110.7%21New Hampshire6776910.3%629629.8%22Delaware432388.7%424419.7%23Nebraska894758.4%890859.6%24Missouri2,66129711.1%2,5252389.4%25Kansas1,2801128.7%1,2821148.9%26Wisconsin2,6982188.1%2,5922278.7%27District of Columbia361349.3%343308.6%28Indiana3,0072498.3%2,8382358.3%29Alabama2,0411738.5%1,8961518.0%30Wyoming243187.3%240187.6%31Kentucky1,7861448.0%1,6941277.5%32Colorado2,6312379.0%2,4701827.4%33Mississippi1,105706.3%1,034747.1%34 (tie)New Mexico813587.1%743537.1%34 (tie)Iowa1,543976.3%1,401936.6%36Florida8,8275516.2%8,1555246.4%37North Dakota356216.0%338216.2%38Oklahoma1,554966.2%1,501906.0%39Louisiana1,784945.3%1,682995.9%40Idaho764374.9%732415.6%41Arizona3,0281745.7%2,9091555.3%42Texas12,3344974.0%11,6075634.9%43Arkansas1,200625.2%1,158554.7%44Georgia4,4221084.1%4,1731944.6%45Tennessee2,9471354.6%2,6781174.4%46Virginia3,8811564.0%3,7031644.4%47South Dakota395225.6%385174.3%48Utah1,409624.4%1,403513.7%49North Carolina4,3961022.3%4,1281293.1%50South Carolina2,140472.2%2,036592.9%51

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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