Union representation in the private sector rose to 6.8% in 2025, despite a sharp drop in union elections and work stoppages last year, according to the US Department of Labor’s annual union membership survey. What does this mean for employers? Hugh Murray, Chair of McCarter’s Labor & Employment Practice, says these numbers must be considered in the context of longer-term patterns, rather than just looking at one year’s shift. Overall, union representation is down more than a half a percentage point from a decade ago and a full three points down since 2000.
2.23.2026