Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Construction Cover.
Labor unions in the United States have faced significant challenges over the past few decades. Anti-union efforts by employers, the growing prominence of the gig economy, and changing labor laws, among other factors, have all contributed to the continued decline in union membership. But recently, interest in unionization has resurfaced.
The UPS strike that was narrowly averted and the notable strikes by Hollywood writers and actors gained a lot of attention and made national headlines. Desires for better compensation and working conditions have again become important.
Union workers not only enjoy more unemployment protection, they also enjoy higher wages than non-union workers. A major reason for this wage differential is the ability of union workers to benefit from the power of union bargaining agreements, rather than relying on individual negotiations with the employer.
Although union members on average earn more than their non-union counterparts, union membership in the US has declined dramatically over the past few decades.
To determine the most unionized areas in America, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from UnionStats.com and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read more about how to do it in the end.
Here are the most compact US metropolitan areas.
15. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Level of union membership: 13.6%
- Level of union representation: 14.7%
- Unionized workers: 736,464
- Workers represented by unions: 792,202
- Amount of work: 5,399,876
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Level of union membership: 13.7%
- Level of union representation: 14.6%
- Unionized workers: 270,873
- Workers represented by unions: 288,625
- Amount of work: 1,982,212
13. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
- Level of union membership: 13.7%
- Level of union representation: 14.3%
- Unionized workers: 295,446
- Workers represented by unions: 307,971
- Amount of work: 2,158,220
12. Fresno, CA
- Level of union membership: 14.2%
- Level of union representation: 17.4%
- Unionized workers: 49,396
- Workers represented by unions: 60,762
- Amount of work: 348,751
11. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Level of union membership: 14.4%
- Level of union representation: 15.5%
- Unionized employees: 406,200
- Workers represented by unions: 436,670
- Amount of work: 2,815,535
10. Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT
- Level of union membership: 14.5%
- Level of union representation: 16.0%
- Unionized employees: 81,747
- Workers represented by unions: 90,086
- Amount of work: 562,300
9. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Level of union membership: 15.6%
- Level of union representation: 17.6%
- Unionized workers: 218,491
- Workers represented by unions: 247,531
- Amount of work: 1,402,461
8. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Level of union membership: 15.8%
- Level of union representation: 16.8%
- Unionized employees: 180,926
- Workers represented by unions: 193,133
- Amount of work: 1,147,550
7. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Level of union membership: 15.8%
- Level of union representation: 16.8%
- Unionized workers: 306,407
- Workers represented by unions: 327,113
- Amount of work: 1,943,364
6. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
- Level of union membership: 16.2%
- Level of union representation: 18.0%
- Unionized employees: 122,477
- Workers represented by unions: 136,074
- Amount of work: 755,483
5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Level of union membership: 16.6%
- Level of union representation: 18.0%
- Unionized workers: 325,707
- Workers represented by unions: 352,346
- Amount of work: 1,960,848
4. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- Level of union membership: 17.8%
- Level of union representation: 22.2%
- Unionized employees: 329,984
- Workers represented by unions: 411,934
- Amount of work: 1,855,064
3. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Level of union membership: 18.1%
- Level of union representation: 19.5%
- Unionized employees: 1,606,871
- Workers represented by unions: 1,722,399
- Amount of work: 8,854,530
2. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
- Level of union membership: 19.7%
- Level of union representation: 21.8%
- Unionized workers: 190,653
- Workers represented by unions: 211,139
- Amount of work: 968,122
1. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
- Level of union membership: 23.5%
- Level of union representation: 25.8%
- Unionized employees: 108,420
- Workers represented by unions: 119,015
- Amount of work: 460,560
How to do it
To find the most compact metros in America, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from UnionStats.com and the US Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Estimates.
The researchers ranked metropolitan areas by total union membership as a percentage of total employment. In addition to union membership, the researchers also included statistics on union representation, which is the share of workers who collectively negotiate their terms of employment (or are union members).
Only metropolitan areas with available data and with a population of at least 100,000 were included in the analysis.
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