Union Coverage Reaches Highest Level Since 2009
The number of workers covered under union contracts rose to a 16-year peak in 2025, despite ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to eliminate collective bargaining agreements for tens of thousands of federal employees, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Approximately 15.9 million workers were covered by union contracts in 2025, an increase from 15.4 million in 2024, marking the highest coverage level since 2009. This growth is attributed to more workers joining unions as members, with 14.5 million union members in 2025 compared to 14.1 million in 2024.
The proportion of all US workers covered by union contracts edged up to 11.2% in 2025, compared to 11.1% in 2024. Union membership similarly increased from 10.2% in 2024 to 10.4% in 2025.
Long-Term Trends and Rising Approval
Union density in the United States has significantly declined over recent decades, dropping from over 30% in the late 1940s and 1950s. Despite this long-term decrease, public approval of labor unions has grown in recent years. According to Gallup, union approval ratings now range between 67% and 71%, levels not seen since the late 1950s and early 1960s.
“The second Trump Administration launched the most vicious attack on public sector union workers since the Reagan era. While the assault’s full effect remains to be seen, the numbers from 2025 leave room for cautious optimism,” said Hayley Brown, a researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), in a statement on the union density increase.
Despite these gains, the Trump administration continues to push for the elimination of collective bargaining agreements for federal workers, which could counteract the recent increases in union coverage.
Expert Insights on Union Growth
Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute and former chief economist at the US Department of Labor, highlighted that the addition of 463,000 workers represented by unions in 2025 is the highest number in the United States in 16 years.
“This is an extremely welcome departure from prior years’ declines,” Shierholz stated on Bluesky. “In a time of fear, uncertainty, and hardship, workers are realizing they are better off in a union. Workers are exerting control over their jobs and their lives through unionization. This is especially clear in the federal government, where unionization surged despite unprecedented attacks.”
Shierholz attributed the 2025 increases to sustained organizing efforts over many years.
“Organizing and winning union elections is a lengthy process, and the groundwork laid over many years definitely contributed to this year’s gains.”
