Union membership rate in 2016 is 10.7%, down from 11.1% in 2015

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Union membership rate in 2016 is 10.7%, down from 11.1% in 2015

Economic News Release USDL-17-0107

Union Members Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, January 26, 2017

Technical information: [phone] * [e-mail] * www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact: [phone] * [e-mail]


UNION MEMBERS -- 2016


The union membership rate--the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions--was 10.7 percent in 2016, down 0.4 percentage point from 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.6 million in 2016, declined by 240,000 from 2015. In 1983, the first year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was 20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers.

The data on union membership are collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation's civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and over. For more information, see the Technical Note in this news release.

Highlights from the 2016 data:

{snip}

[center]Facilities for Sensory Impaired[/center]

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: [phone], Federal Relay Services: 1-800-877-8339.

[guillaumeb]

1. Given how weak US Labor laws are, and how these laws favor employers,

it is no wonder that union membership is weakening. And is it a coincidence that wages for the working class, the bottom 90% of Americans, are also essentially stagnant?

And given that both parties of the US Congress include a large number of millionaires, is it any wonder that Congress shows little inclination to work on this situation?

[elleng]

3. No wonder, and no coincidence.

Watch this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028538827

[guillaumeb]

4. I did see that post. But thank you anyway.

And every thing that depresses wages depresses the GDP. The GOP economic plan is guaranteed to produce more economic bubbles and less real growth for the working class.

[elleng]

5. You're welcome, guill.

I'd like to promote that post, as I think its important for everyone to 'get' the history.

And YES, their 'plan' will surely produce more 'bubbles,' and less real growth.

[elleng]

2. No surprise. It's a long-term trend, with LOTS of adverse consequenses.

Everyone should watch this, for an important history lesson:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028538827