Union Membership and Density Up in 2007

After decades of decline, union membership is back on the rise. U.S. unions added 310,000 members in 2007, the largest single-year increase in nearly 30 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall union density rose from 12.0 percent in 2006 to 12.1 percent in 2007.

Much of the growth in 2007 was due to the increase in the number of workers joining or forming unions, reflecting an increased commitment by unions to help workers organize, especially in growing industries. The advantages of having a union on the job were clear in 2007. Last year, median weekly pay for union members was $863 while those who were not represented by unions had median weekly earnings of $663.