State: 1, Hawaii, 26, 5; 2, New York, 20, 6; 3, Alaska, 17, 7; 4, Connecticut, 16, 5.In 2024, Hawaii had the highest rate of union membership among its working population, with 26.5 percent affiliated with a union. The least unionized state was South Dakota, with a rate of 2.7 percent. The three least unionized states in the United States are South Carolina, North Carolina and Dakota, while the most unionized states are Hawaii and New York. According to Ziprecruiter, Washington is a leader in offering the highest union salaries in all states.
In recent years, coffee shops have become critical points for labor organization, with hundreds of workers in various places fighting for unionization. However, the path from signing union cards to obtaining a contract can be fraught with challenges. The manual used by companies, both large and small, usually includes tactics from law firms specialized in the fight against unions, leading to a lengthy process. Union membership is highest among workers aged 55 to 64 (16.6 percent) and those aged 45 to 54 (16 percent).
The lowest rates of union membership are seen among people aged 16 to 24 (5 percent). Full-time workers are roughly twice as likely as part-time workers to join a union (13.7 percent, compared to 6.7 percent). Roughly half (8 million) of the country's 16 million union members are in those two states and Illinois (900,000), Pennsylvania (800,000), Michigan (800,000) and Ohio (700,000). While they represent half of union members, these six states account for only a third of wage employment across the country.
The states with the highest union membership rate are New York (24.9 percent), Hawaii (24.3 percent) and Alaska (23.5 percent). The lowest rates are in North Carolina (3.5 percent), Georgia (3.7 percent), South Carolina (3.9 percent), Virginia (4.1 percent), Texas (4.5 percent) and Louisiana (4.6 percent). Texas, with 449,000 union members, had less than a quarter of the number of union members than New York, despite having 1.8 millions more salaried employees.
