Data / Rankings / Union representation rate / US states

US states by union representation rate

Hawaii had the highest union representation rate of 51 states in 2019, at 25.5%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 9.9% and the figure for the United States was 11.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest25.5Hawaii
Lowest2.7South Carolina
Median9.951 states
United States11.6History

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 9.8 %Alaska: 18.7 %Arizona: 7.1 %Arkansas: 5.9 %California: 16.5 %Colorado: 9.8 %Connecticut: 16 %Delaware: 9.9 %District of Columbia: 10.2 %Florida: 7.6 %Georgia: 5 %Hawaii: 25.5 %Idaho: 6 %Illinois: 14.7 %Indiana: 9.8 %Iowa: 7.9 %Kansas: 10.1 %Kentucky: 9.5 %Louisiana: 6.1 %Maine: 13.7 %Maryland: 12.8 %Massachusetts: 13.2 %Michigan: 15 %Minnesota: 14.3 %Mississippi: 8.4 %Missouri: 12.5 %Montana: 12 %Nebraska: 9.6 %Nevada: 16.1 %New Hampshire: 11.6 %New Jersey: 17.4 %New Mexico: 8.8 %New York: 22.7 %North Carolina: 3.4 %North Dakota: 7.5 %Ohio: 13.1 %Oklahoma: 7.9 %Oregon: 15.7 %Pennsylvania: 13.1 %Rhode Island: 19 %South Carolina: 2.7 %South Dakota: 6.7 %Tennessee: 5.5 %Texas: 5.2 %Utah: 5.9 %Vermont: 12 %Virginia: 5.2 %Washington: 20.2 %West Virginia: 11.1 %Wisconsin: 9.1 %Wyoming: 8.7 %
  • Under 6
  • 6 to 8.6
  • 8.6 to 9.9
  • 9.9 to 13
  • 13 to 16
  • 16 and over
%, 2019. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2019

Hawaii: 25.5 %Hawaii25.5New York: 22.7 %New York22.7Washington: 20.2 %Washington20.2Rhode Island: 19 %Rhode Island19Alaska: 18.7 %Alaska18.7New Jersey: 17.4 %New Jersey17.4California: 16.5 %California16.5Nevada: 16.1 %Nevada16.1Connecticut: 16 %Connecticut16Oregon: 15.7 %Oregon15.7Michigan: 15 %Michigan15Illinois: 14.7 %Illinois14.7Minnesota: 14.3 %Minnesota14.3Maine: 13.7 %Maine13.7Massachusetts: 13.2 %Massachusetts13.2Ohio: 13.1 %Ohio13.1Pennsylvania: 13.1 %Pennsylvania13.1Maryland: 12.8 %Maryland12.8Missouri: 12.5 %Missouri12.5Montana: 12 %Montana12Vermont: 12 %Vermont12New Hampshire: 11.6 %New Hampshire11.6West Virginia: 11.1 %West Virginia11.1District of Columbia: 10.2 %District of Columbia10.2Kansas: 10.1 %Kansas10.1Delaware: 9.9 %Delaware9.9Alabama: 9.8 %Alabama9.8Colorado: 9.8 %Colorado9.8Indiana: 9.8 %Indiana9.8Nebraska: 9.6 %Nebraska9.6Kentucky: 9.5 %Kentucky9.5Wisconsin: 9.1 %Wisconsin9.1New Mexico: 8.8 %New Mexico8.8Wyoming: 8.7 %Wyoming8.7Mississippi: 8.4 %Mississippi8.4Iowa: 7.9 %Iowa7.9Oklahoma: 7.9 %Oklahoma7.9Florida: 7.6 %Florida7.6North Dakota: 7.5 %North Dakota7.5Arizona: 7.1 %Arizona7.1South Dakota: 6.7 %South Dakota6.7Louisiana: 6.1 %Louisiana6.1Idaho: 6 %Idaho6Arkansas: 5.9 %Arkansas5.9Utah: 5.9 %Utah5.9Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Texas: 5.2 %Texas5.2Virginia: 5.2 %Virginia5.2Georgia: 5 %Georgia5North Carolina: 3.4 %North Carolina3.4South Carolina: 2.7 %South Carolina2.7Hawaii: 25.5 %Hawaii25.5New York: 22.7 %New York22.7Washington: 20.2 %Washington20.2Rhode Island: 19 %Rhode Island19Alaska: 18.7 %Alaska18.7New Jersey: 17.4 %New Jersey17.4California: 16.5 %California16.5Nevada: 16.1 %Nevada16.1Connecticut: 16 %Connecticut16Oregon: 15.7 %Oregon15.7Michigan: 15 %Michigan15Illinois: 14.7 %Illinois14.7Minnesota: 14.3 %Minnesota14.3Maine: 13.7 %Maine13.7Massachusetts: 13.2 %Massachusetts13.2Ohio: 13.1 %Ohio13.1Pennsylvania: 13.1 %Pennsylvania13.1Maryland: 12.8 %Maryland12.8Missouri: 12.5 %Missouri12.5Montana: 12 %Montana12Vermont: 12 %Vermont12New Hampshire: 11.6 %New Hampshire11.6West Virginia: 11.1 %West Virginia11.1District of Columbia: 10.2 %District of Columbia10.2Kansas: 10.1 %Kansas10.1Delaware: 9.9 %Delaware9.9Alabama: 9.8 %Alabama9.8Colorado: 9.8 %Colorado9.8Indiana: 9.8 %Indiana9.8Nebraska: 9.6 %Nebraska9.6Kentucky: 9.5 %Kentucky9.5Wisconsin: 9.1 %Wisconsin9.1New Mexico: 8.8 %New Mexico8.8Wyoming: 8.7 %Wyoming8.7Mississippi: 8.4 %Mississippi8.4Iowa: 7.9 %Iowa7.9Oklahoma: 7.9 %Oklahoma7.9Florida: 7.6 %Florida7.6North Dakota: 7.5 %North Dakota7.5Arizona: 7.1 %Arizona7.1South Dakota: 6.7 %South Dakota6.7Louisiana: 6.1 %Louisiana6.1Idaho: 6 %Idaho6Arkansas: 5.9 %Arkansas5.9Utah: 5.9 %Utah5.9Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Texas: 5.2 %Texas5.2Virginia: 5.2 %Virginia5.2Georgia: 5 %Georgia5North Carolina: 3.4 %North Carolina3.4South Carolina: 2.7 %South Carolina2.7
%. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Hawaii25.5+1.2 pts
2New York22.7-1.4 pts
3Washington20.2-0.3 pts
4Rhode Island19+0.5 pts
5Alaska18.7-1.3 pts
6New Jersey17.4+1.2 pts
7California16.5+0.7 pts
8Nevada16.1+0.4 pts
9Connecticut16-0.7 pts
10Oregon15.7+1 pts
11Michigan15-0.4 pts
12Illinois14.70 pts
13Minnesota14.3-1.7 pts
14Maine13.7-1.1 pts
15Massachusetts13.2-1.3 pts
16Ohio13.1-1.2 pts
16Pennsylvania13.1-0.3 pts
18Maryland12.8+0.7 pts
19Missouri12.5+1.9 pts
20Montana12-2 pts
20Vermont12+0.4 pts
22New Hampshire11.60 pts
23West Virginia11.1+0.3 pts
24District of Columbia10.2-1.4 pts
25Kansas10.10 pts
26Delaware9.9-0.9 pts
27Alabama9.8-0.3 pts
27Colorado9.8-2.2 pts
27Indiana9.8+0.5 pts
30Nebraska9.6+1.6 pts
31Kentucky9.5-1.9 pts
32Wisconsin9.1+0.5 pts
33New Mexico8.8+0.6 pts
34Wyoming8.7+1 pts
35Mississippi8.4+1.3 pts
36Iowa7.9-0.9 pts
36Oklahoma7.9+0.5 pts
38Florida7.6+0.8 pts
39North Dakota7.5+0.8 pts
40Arizona7.1+0.6 pts
41South Dakota6.7-0.4 pts
42Louisiana6.1+0.3 pts
43Idaho6+0.4 pts
44Arkansas5.9+0.6 pts
44Utah5.9+0.2 pts
46Tennessee5.5-0.9 pts
47Texas5.2-0.2 pts
47Virginia5.2-0.3 pts
49Georgia5-0.6 pts
50North Carolina3.4-0.6 pts
51South Carolina2.7-0.9 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Wage and salary workers represented by unions, as a percent of employed wage and salary workers, annual average, from the Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (series LUU0204899700 for the nation).

Represented workers are union members plus workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract. Annual averages of the monthly Current Population Survey, a household survey, so the figures carry sampling error, which is larger for small states. Wage and salary workers exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self employed. State figures are by state of residence. The 2025 averages cover 11 months: October 2025 was not collected during the federal government shutdown.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>) (US states by union representation rate, 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData

MLA 9

Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>), US states by union representation rate, 2019. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 Feb. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). US states by union representation rate, 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>), US states by union representation rate, 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>): US states by union representation rate, 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>): US states by union representation rate, 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/18
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2019.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest union representation rate?

Hawaii, with 25.5% in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union representation rate?

South Carolina, with 2.7% in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

US states: more rankings