Table 38. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by sex, annual averages, 1983-2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Total, both sexes Women

Members of unions 1 Represented by 

unions 2 Members of unions 1 Represented by unions 2

 Total Percent of 

employed Total Percent of employed Total Percent of employed Total Percent of employed

1983......... 88,290 17,717 20.1 20,532 23.3 40,433 5,908 14.6 7,262 18.0

1984......... 92,194 17,340 18.8 19,932 21.6 42,172 5,829 13.8 7,100 16.8

1985....... 94,521 16,996 18.0 19,358 20.5 43,506 5,732 13.2 6,910 15.9

1986 3...... 96,903 16,975 17.5 19,278 19.9 44,961 5,802 12.9 6,961 15.5

1987......... 99,303 16,913 17.0 19,051 19.2 46,365 5,842 12.6 6,907 14.9

1988....... 101,407 17,002 16.8 19,241 19.0 47,495 5,982 12.6 7,109 15.0

1989......... 103,480 16,960 16.4 19,198 18.6 48,691 6,141 12.6 7,243 14.9

1990 3

...... 104,876 16,776 16.0 19,105 18.2 49,323 6,179 12.5 7,330 14.9

1991......... 103,723 16,612 16.0 18,790 18.1 49,105 6,142 12.5 7,247 14.8

1992....... 104,668 16,418 15.7 18,578 17.7 49,842 6,274 12.6 7,411 14.9

1993....... 106,101 16,627 15.7 18,682 17.6 50,626 6,516 12.9 7,610 15.0

1994 3

...... 107,989 16,748 15.5 18,850 17.5 51,419 6,642 12.9 7,740 15.1

1995....... 110,038 16,360 14.9 18,346 16.7 52,369 6,430 12.3 7,479 14.3

1996......... 111,960 16,269 14.5 18,158 16.2 53,488 6,410 12.0 7,397 13.8

1997 3

...... 114,533 16,110 14.1 17,923 15.6 54,708 6,347 11.6 7,304 13.4

1998 3

...... 116,730 16,211 13.9 17,918 15.4 55,757 6,362 11.4 7,280 13.1

1999 3

...... 118,963 16,477 13.9 18,182 15.3 57,050 6,528 11.4 7,425 13.0

2000 3...... 122,089 16,334 13.4 18,153 14.9 58,427 6,671 11.4 7,662 13.1

2001....... 122,229 16,305 13.3 18,026 14.7 58,582 6,768 11.6 7,672 13.1

2002......... 121,826 16,145 13.3 17,695 14.5 58,555 6,820 11.6 7,629 13.0

2003 3

...... 122,358 15,776 12.9 17,448 14.3 59,122 6,732 11.4 7,601 12.9

2004......... 123,554 15,472 12.5 17,087 13.8 59,408 6,593 11.1 7,450 12.5

2005...... 125,889 15,685 12.5 17,223 13.7 60,423 6,815 11.3 7,626 12.6

2006......... 128,237 15,359 12.0 16,860 13.1 61,426 6,702 10.9 7,501 12.2

2007......... 129,767 15,670 12.1 17,243 13.3 62,299 6,903 11.1 7,749 12.4

2008 3

...... 129,377 16,098 12.4 17,761 13.7 62,532 7,160 11.4 8,036 12.9

 See footnotes at end of table.

Year Total 

employed

Total 

employed

94
Table 38. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary 

workers by sex, annual averages, 1983-2008—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Men

Members of unions 1 Represented by 

unions 2

 Total Percent of 

employed Total Percent of employed

1983......... 47,856 11,809 24.7 13,270 27.7

1984......... 50,022 11,511 23.0 12,832 25.7

1985....... 51,015 11,264 22.1 12,448 24.4

1986 3

...... 51,942 11,173 21.5 12,317 23.7

1987......... 52,938 11,071 20.9 12,144 22.9

1988....... 53,912 11,019 20.4 12,132 22.5

1989......... 54,789 10,820 19.7 11,955 21.8

1990 3

...... 55,553 10,597 19.1 11,775 21.2

1991......... 54,618 10,470 19.2 11,542 21.1

1992....... 54,826 10,144 18.5 11,167 20.4

1993....... 55,475 10,112 18.2 11,072 20.0

1994 3

...... 56,570 10,106 17.9 11,110 19.6

1995....... 57,669 9,929 17.2 10,868 18.8

1996......... 58,473 9,859 16.9 10,761 18.4

1997 3

...... 59,825 9,763 16.3 10,619 17.7

1998 3

...... 60,973 9,850 16.2 10,638 17.4

1999 3

...... 61,914 9,949 16.1 10,758 17.4

2000 3

...... 63,662 9,664 15.2 10,491 16.5

2001....... 63,647 9,538 15.0 10,354 16.3

2002......... 63,272 9,325 14.7 10,066 15.9

2003 3

...... 63,236 9,044 14.3 9,848 15.6

2004......... 64,145 8,878 13.8 9,638 15.0

2005...... 65,466 8,870 13.5 9,597 14.7

2006......... 66,811 8,657 13.0 9,360 14.0

2007......... 67,468 8,767 13.0 9,494 14.1

2008 3

...... 66,846 8,938 13.4 9,724 14.5

Year Total 

employed

1 Data refer to members of a labor union or an employee

association similar to a union. 2 Data refer to workers who are not members of unions but

whose jobs are covered by a union or employee association

contract, as well as to members of a labor union or an employee

association similar to a union. 3 Not strictly comparable with data for prior years. For an

explanation, see the Historical Comparability documentation

provided at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.

NOTE: Data refer to the sole or principal job of full- and parttime workers. All self-employed workers are excluded, regardless

of whether their businesses are incorporated. 

SOURCE: Current Population Survey, U.S. Department of Labor,

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

95