Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Construction Coverage.
Labor unions in the United States have experienced significant changes over the past several decades. Once a pillar for American workers, unions have seen their influence wane due to a combination of economic, political, and technological forces.
Employer opposition, the rise of contract and gig-based work, globalization, and evolving labor laws have all contributed to a steady decline in union membership. These shifts have affected a wide range of occupations — from skilled trades like carpentry and plumbing to public-sector roles such as education and emergency response.
In recent years, however, interest in organized labor has experienced a resurgence. Growing public support for unions, high-profile organizing efforts at major corporations, and nationwide strikes in education, transportation, and entertainment have all signaled renewed momentum.
To determine the most unionized locations in America, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from UnionStats.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Learn more about the methodology at the end.
Here are the most unionized U.S. metropolitan areas.
15. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
- Union membership rate: 13.2%
- Union representation rate: 13.4%
- Workers who are members of unions: 62,946
- Workers who are represented by unions: 64,137
- Total employment: 478,329
14. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Union membership rate: 13.2%
- Union representation rate: 14.2%
- Workers who are members of unions: 571,563
- Workers who are represented by unions: 618,858
- Total employment: 4,344,290
13. Pittsburgh, PA
- Union membership rate: 13.3%
- Union representation rate: 14.3%
- Workers who are members of unions: 152,213
- Workers who are represented by unions: 163,725
- Total employment: 1,142,263
12. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Union membership rate: 13.3%
- Union representation rate: 14.4%
- Workers who are members of unions: 266,828
- Workers who are represented by unions: 288,545
- Total employment: 1,998,893
11. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
- Union membership rate: 13.6%
- Union representation rate: 16.9%
- Workers who are members of unions: 200,091
- Workers who are represented by unions: 249,055
- Total employment: 1,469,501
10. Fresno, CA
- Union membership rate: 13.9%
- Union representation rate: 15.7%
- Workers who are members of unions: 53,346
- Workers who are represented by unions: 60,113
- Total employment: 382,561
9. Rochester, NY
- Union membership rate: 14.9%
- Union representation rate: 15.9%
- Workers who are members of unions: 75,424
- Workers who are represented by unions: 80,865
- Total employment: 507,083
8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Union membership rate: 15.1%
- Union representation rate: 16.6%
- Workers who are members of unions: 295,590
- Workers who are represented by unions: 325,000
- Total employment: 1,963,723
7. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
- Union membership rate: 15.4%
- Union representation rate: 16.1%
- Workers who are members of unions: 300,875
- Workers who are represented by unions: 314,431
- Total employment: 1,957,025
6. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
- Union membership rate: 15.7%
- Union representation rate: 16.8%
- Workers who are members of unions: 121,253
- Workers who are represented by unions: 130,275
- Total employment: 773,950
5. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Union membership rate: 16.5%
- Union representation rate: 18.0%
- Workers who are members of unions: 188,199
- Workers who are represented by unions: 204,543
- Total employment: 1,137,573
4. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
- Union membership rate: 17.3%
- Union representation rate: 19.6%
- Workers who are members of unions: 157,392
- Workers who are represented by unions: 178,456
- Total employment: 911,543
3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- Union membership rate: 17.8%
- Union representation rate: 22.1%
- Workers who are members of unions: 342,478
- Workers who are represented by unions: 425,603
- Total employment: 1,921,558
2. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
- Union membership rate: 19.3%
- Union representation rate: 20.3%
- Workers who are members of unions: 114,533
- Workers who are represented by unions: 120,531
- Total employment: 592,914
1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Union membership rate: 20.2%
- Union representation rate: 21.2%
- Workers who are members of unions: 1,797,666
- Workers who are represented by unions: 1,886,676
- Total employment: 8,885,072
Methodology
To determine the most unionized locations in the U.S., researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed data from UnionStats.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The researchers ranked metropolitan statistical areas according to total union members 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 whose terms of work are collectively negotiated (whether or not they are union members).
Only metropolitan statistical areas with available data were included in the analysis.
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