Unionstats.com
Union Membership, Coverage, and Earnings from the CPS
The
Union Membership and Coverage Database, available at www.unionstats.com,
is an Internet data resource providing private and public sector labor union membership,
coverage, and density estimates compiled from the monthly household Current Population Survey
(CPS) using BLS methods. Economy-wide estimates are provided beginning
in 1973; estimates by state, detailed industry, and detailed occupation begin
in 1983; and estimates by metropolitan area begin in 1986. The Database, constructed
by Barry Hirsch (Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University) and
David Macpherson (Department
of Economics, Trinity University), was created in 2002 and is updated annually.
To access union data tables, click on links in the left-side index
Union data compilations from the 2021 CPS completed February 1, 2022
Use of data from Unionstats.com requires citation.
A
description of the Database is provided in the paper
below, available in pdf.
Barry T. Hirsch and
David A. Macpherson, "Union Membership and
Coverage Database from the Current Population Survey: Note," Industrial
and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 2003, pp. 349-54
(updated annually at unionstats.com). (pdf)
Note: CPS sample sizes (denoted by "Obs") are very small for some cells. Use
such union estimates cautiously.
New: Earnings Compilations from the CPS: 1973-2021
See Roman Numeral II on the left-side menu
CPS Documentation
Files and Links:
Equivalence/differences in UnionStats.com and BLS estimates of union membership and density
CPS Metropolitan Area Classifications (August 2015 to present) note for 2015
CPS Metropolitan Area Classifications (May 2004 to 2014) note for 2014
CPS Metropolitan Area
Classifications (September 1995 to April 2004)
CPS Metropolitan Area
Classifications (October 1985 to May 1995)
CPS Industry Classifications (2020 to present)
CPS Industry Classifications (2009 to 2019) minor changes from 2003-08 codes
CPS Industry Classifications (2003-2008)
CPS Industry Classifications
(1992-2002)
CPS Industry Classifications (1983-91)
CPS Occupation Classifications (2020 to present)
CPS Occupation Classifications (2011-2019)
CPS Occupation Classifications (2003-2010)
CPS Occupation
Classifications (1992-2002)
CPS Occupation Classifications (1983-91)
Summary of 1980/90 Ind/Occ Changes; Program to Create Time-Consistent Ind/Occ Codes
Additional Labor
Union Databases:
State Union Density in the U.S., 1964-2021 (Hirsch, Macpherson, Vroman, Monthly Labor Review article, union % of total non-agricultural employment)
Graphics from Colin Gordon (University of Iowa) using data from UnionStats:
"State of the Unions" (2019) in Dissent Magazine. Graphics showing state union densities over time from Unionstats. Very nice!
Right to Work By the Numbers (2016), includes graphics and discussion of RTW
Mappings of Union Membership and Density (2013), 3-yr moving averages of national & state data;
Metropolitan area figures showing employment, union membership, and density (2013)
Author home pages and e-mail:
Barry Hirsch home page Hirsch e-mail
David Macpherson home page Macpherson e-mail
© 2002, 2022 by Barry T. Hirsch and David A. Macpherson. Use of data requires citation.