U.S. union membership rate in the manufacturing industry 2000-2023
Union membership in the manufacturing industry has seen a rapid decline since the turn of the century. In 2000, rates of union membership were relatively high in the manufacturing industry compared to the all-industry average, with 14.9 percent of workers being part of a union. However, while still higher than average, the rate reached a record low in 2021 at 7.7 percent. This did increase slightly in 2022 and 2023, while the all-industry average declined again.