Long Island’s union membership
Union membership on Long Island stands below the level from before the Great Recession, with a falloff of younger workers seen as contributing to the situation, according to a report from Hofstra University. This chart and table detail estimates of membership by age — with declines in the three youngest groups — and the chart and table below show estimates for the overall trends. Read more about the union membership report.
| 2004-6 | Employment | Members | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-24 | 157,906 | 14,237 | 9 |
| 25-34 | 230,428 | 64,088 | 27.8 |
| 35-44 | 340,900 | 93,833 | 27.5 |
| 45-54 | 291,311 | 83,346 | 28.6 |
| 55-64 | 172,254 | 53,776 | 31.2 |
| 65 & up | 63,320 | 8,170 | 12.9 |
| Total | 1,256,119 | 317,450 | 25.3 |
| 16-24 | 160,485 | 13,401 | 8.4 |
| 25-34 | 227,269 | 58,276 | 25.6 |
| 35-44 | 309,085 | 78,374 | 25.4 |
| 45-54 | 302,103 | 93,701 | 31 |
| 55-64 | 186,100 | 48,187 | 25.9 |
| 65 & up | 48,267 | 8,985 | 18.6 |
| Total | 1,233,310 | 300,924 | 24.4 |
| 2014-16 | Employment | Members | Rate |
| 16-24 | 142,359 | 13,997 | 9.8 |
| 25-34 | 198,722 | 48,314 | 24.3 |
| 35-44 | 274,261 | 81,195 | 29.6 |
| 45-54 | 299,631 | 90,881 | 30.3 |
| 55-64 | 246,470 | 53,867 | 21.9 |
| 65 & up | 76,063 | 14,614 | 19.2 |
| Total | 1,237,506 | 302,868 | 24.5 |
Overall union membership
Total union membership, broken down between public and private sector on Long Island, in New York City, and nationwide. Each bar represents the total for the combination of private and public sector members. For details, click on either segment of a bar.
| Long Island | 2004 – 2006 | 2008 – 2010 | 2014 – 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 317,450 | 300,924 | 302,868 |
| Public sector | 190,834 | 180,555 | 168,274 |
| Private sector | 126,617 | 115,756 | 134,594 |
| Total employment (in thousands) | 1,256 | 1,233 | 1,237 |
| Union as % of total employment | 25% | 24% | 24% |
| New York City | 2004 – 2006 | 2008 – 2010 | 2014 – 2016 |
| Total | 856,334 | 800,884 | 875,985 |
| Public sector | 352,926 | 366,040 | 335,306 |
| Private sector | 503,408 | 427,894 | 540,679 |
| Total employment (in thousands) | 3,185 | 3,338 | 3,532 |
| Union as % of total employment | 27% | 24% | 25% |
| Nationwide | 2004 – 2006 | 2008 – 2010 | 2014 – 2016 |
| Union Members/employment (estimated) | 2004 – 2006 | 2008 – 2010 | 2014 – 2016 |
| Total (in thousands) | 15,505 | 15,379 | 14,605 |
| Public sector | 7,358 | 7,783 | 7,187 |
| Private sector | 8,146 | 7,595 | 7,448 |
| Total employment (in thousands) | 125,893 | 125,980 | 133,785 |
| Union as % of total employment | 12% | 12% | 11% |
Source: “The State of New York Unions 2017” Hofstra University’s Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy. Charts built using amCharts; tables using Tableizer.