Data / Rankings / Union representation rate / US states

US states by union representation rate

Hawaii had the highest union representation rate of 51 states in 2022, at 23.4%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 2%. The median was 10.3% and the figure for the United States was 11.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest23.4Hawaii
Lowest2South Carolina
Median10.351 states
United States11.3History

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 8.4 %Alaska: 17.3 %Arizona: 6.2 %Arkansas: 5.7 %California: 17.6 %Colorado: 7.5 %Connecticut: 15.4 %Delaware: 9.4 %District of Columbia: 10.4 %Florida: 5.6 %Georgia: 5.4 %Hawaii: 23.4 %Idaho: 5.9 %Illinois: 14.1 %Indiana: 8.6 %Iowa: 8.7 %Kansas: 12.1 %Kentucky: 10.3 %Louisiana: 5.2 %Maine: 11.5 %Maryland: 13.2 %Massachusetts: 13.8 %Michigan: 15.3 %Minnesota: 15.2 %Mississippi: 7.2 %Missouri: 10.6 %Montana: 12.3 %Nebraska: 8.1 %Nevada: 12.8 %New Hampshire: 11.2 %New Jersey: 16 %New Mexico: 10.6 %New York: 22.1 %North Carolina: 3.9 %North Dakota: 7.6 %Ohio: 14 %Oklahoma: 7.1 %Oregon: 16.9 %Pennsylvania: 13.6 %Rhode Island: 17.7 %South Carolina: 2 %South Dakota: 4.2 %Tennessee: 6.3 %Texas: 5.1 %Utah: 8.7 %Vermont: 13.4 %Virginia: 4.5 %Washington: 19.1 %West Virginia: 10 %Wisconsin: 8 %Wyoming: 7.3 %
  • Under 5.8
  • 5.8 to 7.9
  • 7.9 to 10
  • 10 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2022. 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, 2022

Hawaii: 23.4 %Hawaii23.4New York: 22.1 %New York22.1Washington: 19.1 %Washington19.1Rhode Island: 17.7 %Rhode Island17.7California: 17.6 %California17.6Alaska: 17.3 %Alaska17.3Oregon: 16.9 %Oregon16.9New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Connecticut: 15.4 %Connecticut15.4Michigan: 15.3 %Michigan15.3Minnesota: 15.2 %Minnesota15.2Illinois: 14.1 %Illinois14.1Ohio: 14 %Ohio14Massachusetts: 13.8 %Massachusetts13.8Pennsylvania: 13.6 %Pennsylvania13.6Vermont: 13.4 %Vermont13.4Maryland: 13.2 %Maryland13.2Nevada: 12.8 %Nevada12.8Montana: 12.3 %Montana12.3Kansas: 12.1 %Kansas12.1Maine: 11.5 %Maine11.5New Hampshire: 11.2 %New Hampshire11.2Missouri: 10.6 %Missouri10.6New Mexico: 10.6 %New Mexico10.6District of Columbia: 10.4 %District of Columbia10.4Kentucky: 10.3 %Kentucky10.3West Virginia: 10 %West Virginia10Delaware: 9.4 %Delaware9.4Iowa: 8.7 %Iowa8.7Utah: 8.7 %Utah8.7Indiana: 8.6 %Indiana8.6Alabama: 8.4 %Alabama8.4Nebraska: 8.1 %Nebraska8.1Wisconsin: 8 %Wisconsin8North Dakota: 7.6 %North Dakota7.6Colorado: 7.5 %Colorado7.5Wyoming: 7.3 %Wyoming7.3Mississippi: 7.2 %Mississippi7.2Oklahoma: 7.1 %Oklahoma7.1Tennessee: 6.3 %Tennessee6.3Arizona: 6.2 %Arizona6.2Idaho: 5.9 %Idaho5.9Arkansas: 5.7 %Arkansas5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6Georgia: 5.4 %Georgia5.4Louisiana: 5.2 %Louisiana5.2Texas: 5.1 %Texas5.1Virginia: 4.5 %Virginia4.5South Dakota: 4.2 %South Dakota4.2North Carolina: 3.9 %North Carolina3.9South Carolina: 2 %South Carolina2Hawaii: 23.4 %Hawaii23.4New York: 22.1 %New York22.1Washington: 19.1 %Washington19.1Rhode Island: 17.7 %Rhode Island17.7California: 17.6 %California17.6Alaska: 17.3 %Alaska17.3Oregon: 16.9 %Oregon16.9New Jersey: 16 %New Jersey16Connecticut: 15.4 %Connecticut15.4Michigan: 15.3 %Michigan15.3Minnesota: 15.2 %Minnesota15.2Illinois: 14.1 %Illinois14.1Ohio: 14 %Ohio14Massachusetts: 13.8 %Massachusetts13.8Pennsylvania: 13.6 %Pennsylvania13.6Vermont: 13.4 %Vermont13.4Maryland: 13.2 %Maryland13.2Nevada: 12.8 %Nevada12.8Montana: 12.3 %Montana12.3Kansas: 12.1 %Kansas12.1Maine: 11.5 %Maine11.5New Hampshire: 11.2 %New Hampshire11.2Missouri: 10.6 %Missouri10.6New Mexico: 10.6 %New Mexico10.6District of Columbia: 10.4 %District of Columbia10.4Kentucky: 10.3 %Kentucky10.3West Virginia: 10 %West Virginia10Delaware: 9.4 %Delaware9.4Iowa: 8.7 %Iowa8.7Utah: 8.7 %Utah8.7Indiana: 8.6 %Indiana8.6Alabama: 8.4 %Alabama8.4Nebraska: 8.1 %Nebraska8.1Wisconsin: 8 %Wisconsin8North Dakota: 7.6 %North Dakota7.6Colorado: 7.5 %Colorado7.5Wyoming: 7.3 %Wyoming7.3Mississippi: 7.2 %Mississippi7.2Oklahoma: 7.1 %Oklahoma7.1Tennessee: 6.3 %Tennessee6.3Arizona: 6.2 %Arizona6.2Idaho: 5.9 %Idaho5.9Arkansas: 5.7 %Arkansas5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6Georgia: 5.4 %Georgia5.4Louisiana: 5.2 %Louisiana5.2Texas: 5.1 %Texas5.1Virginia: 4.5 %Virginia4.5South Dakota: 4.2 %South Dakota4.2North Carolina: 3.9 %North Carolina3.9South Carolina: 2 %South Carolina2
%. 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

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Hawaii23.4-0.7 pts
2New York22.1-2 pts
3Washington19.1-0.9 pts
4Rhode Island17.7+0.3 pts
5California17.6-0.2 pts
6Alaska17.3+0.1 pts
7Oregon16.9-1.9 pts
8New Jersey16-1.9 pts
9Connecticut15.4-0.9 pts
10Michigan15.30 pts
11Minnesota15.2-1.9 pts
12Illinois14.1-1.1 pts
13Ohio14+1 pts
14Massachusetts13.8+0.2 pts
15Pennsylvania13.60 pts
16Vermont13.4-0.8 pts
17Maryland13.2+0.9 pts
18Nevada12.8-1.3 pts
19Montana12.3-0.6 pts
20Kansas12.1+0.7 pts
21Maine11.5-3.2 pts
22New Hampshire11.2-0.1 pts
23Missouri10.6+0.4 pts
23New Mexico10.6+1.5 pts
25District of Columbia10.4+0.5 pts
26Kentucky10.3+0.5 pts
27West Virginia10-0.5 pts
28Delaware9.4-0.8 pts
29Iowa8.7+0.4 pts
29Utah8.7+2.2 pts
31Indiana8.6-1.6 pts
32Alabama8.4+1.5 pts
33Nebraska8.1+0.1 pts
34Wisconsin8-1.3 pts
35North Dakota7.6+0.7 pts
36Colorado7.50 pts
37Wyoming7.3+0.4 pts
38Mississippi7.2+0.3 pts
39Oklahoma7.1+0.3 pts
40Tennessee6.3+0.4 pts
41Arizona6.2-0.5 pts
42Idaho5.9+0.4 pts
43Arkansas5.7+1.3 pts
44Florida5.6-0.5 pts
45Georgia5.4-0.4 pts
46Louisiana5.2-0.5 pts
47Texas5.1+0.4 pts
48Virginia4.5-2 pts
49South Dakota4.2-0.8 pts
50North Carolina3.9+0.5 pts
51South Carolina20 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, 2022) [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, 2022. 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=2022. 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, 2022. 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=2022.

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, 2022 [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=2022 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2022,
  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, 2022}},
  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=2022. 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, 2022
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=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2022.
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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Rank US states by union representation rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest union representation rate?

Hawaii, with 23.4% in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union representation rate?

South Carolina, with 2% in 2022.

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