Public–Private Union Gap Remains Wide

Union Membership by Sector, Percent of Employees, 1983–2025

Line chart showing US union membership density in the public sector (blue line) and private sector (red line) from 1983 through 2025. Density in the public sector remains higher throughout the period.

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Estimates for 2025 reflect the average over 11 months due to missing data in October 2025.

Chart: Hayley BrownSource: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group, 1983–2025. Get the dataEmbed Download image