Key Takeaways, With Data for Georgia

• Nationwide, Union Membership Is at a Historic Low: Just 9.9% of all U.S. workers were union members in 2024, down from 24.1% in 1979. This decline reflects decades of political, economic, and structural shifts in the labor force.
• However, Non-Union Workers Tend to Earn Less: In 2024, full-time union employees earned a country-wide median of $1,337 per week—17.5% more than their non-union counterparts ($1,138), a difference of more than $10,000 annually.
• Right-to-Work States Lag Behind: States with right-to-work laws—which prohibit mandatory union membership or dues as a condition of employment—consistently rank lower in union membership.
• Unionization Is Low in Georgia: A total of 174,826 workers belong to unions in Georgia, or 3.8%—the 7th lowest union membership rate in the country

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. At the same time, political developments continue to shape the landscape. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating collective bargaining rights for more than one million federal employees—a move that union leaders view as part of a broader strategy to curtail organized labor across the country.

Against this backdrop, this report by Construction Coverage explores how union membership has changed over time, the differences in pay between union and non-union workers, and where unionization remains strongest at the state and city levels.

Union membership in the United States has declined to its lowest point in decades. In 1979, unions represented 24.1% of the American workforce. By 2024, that share had fallen to just 9.9%, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and UnionStats. In absolute terms, this represents a drop of roughly 6.7 million members—from a peak of 20.9 million in 1979 to around 14.2 million in 2024.

This contraction has reshaped the role of organized labor in the U.S. economy. While union presence remains relatively strong in certain public-sector roles and heavily unionized industries, much of the workforce now operates in environments where collective bargaining is less common. Yet despite their declining numbers, unionized workers continue to see notable advantages—particularly when it comes to wages and benefits—compared to their non-union counterparts.

For the full report visit constructioncoverage.com