WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Americans prepare to celebrate Labor Day, 68% of U.S. adults approve of labor unions, essentially unchanged from last year’s reading. This is the fifth consecutive year that approval of organized labor has been in the 67% to 71% range, a level last reached in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
When Gallup first measured Americans’ ratings of labor unions in 1936, 72% approved. Approval reached the record high, 75%, in 1953 and 1957 and ranged between 63% and 73% from 1958 through 1967. Then, from 1972 through 2016, approval was lower, with few readings over 60%, including the 48% all-time low recorded in 2009. This was the only time approval fell below the majority level. Since 2017, approval has been above 60%, the longest period at this level since the 1960s.
The latest data, from Gallup’s Aug. 1-20 poll, show a continued wide divergence in partisans’ views of unions, as 90% of Democrats, 69% of independents and 41% of Republicans express approval. All party groups show increased support for unions compared with 2016, though Republican support has declined since peaking at 56% in 2022. That was the only time Republicans’ approval has risen above 50% in the past 25 years.
Approval ratings among Democrats and independents are well above each group’s average ratings of 79% and 59%, respectively, since 2001. However, approval among Republicans now matches the 25-year average for that group.
Union Membership Unchanged in U.S.
Household union membership remains within the 14% to 21% range it has been in for 25 years, with 15% of U.S. adults saying they live in a household with at least one resident who is a member of a labor union. This includes 8% who say they are a union member, 6% who say another member of their household is in a union, and 1% who say both they and someone else in their household belong to a union.
The most significant subgroup differences in labor union membership are by region and income. Americans in the East (14%), Midwest (12%) and West (9%) are more likely than those in the South (6%) to report labor union membership. Likewise, U.S. adults with an annual household income of at least $100,000 (11%) and those earning $50,000 to less than $100,000 (11%) are more likely than those earning under $50,000 per year (7%) to be labor union members.
Among employed U.S. adults, 13% say they personally belong to a union, which matches the average in Gallup polls since 2001.
Bottom Line
Public approval of organized labor is holding strong, with nearly seven in 10 Americans expressing approval, thus continuing a streak since 2021 of historically high support not seen since the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, the partisan divide remains sharp, with Democrats and independents overwhelmingly supportive, while less than half of Republicans approve. Although Republicans’ approval is well below their brief majority support in 2022, it remains higher than it was in 2016.
This deficit of Republican support was borne out in the 2024 presidential election, as union households voted for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, representing one of the few groups nationally where support for Harris was not lower than for Joe Biden in 2020.
Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @Gallup on X and on Instagram.
Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
