According to new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more federal workers joined unions last year. Federal density in 2023 was 25.1%, up from 24.4% in 2022.
The number of union members in the federal sector also went up 61,000 – from 970,000 in 2022 to 1,032,000 in 2023, which is up net by 60,000 since 2019.
Total federal employment was up 127,000 the last year, meaning about one of every two new federal employees is joining a union.
The BLS numbers reflect reality on the ground as AFGE had a great year organizing in 2023. We grew by 5%, our fastest rate of growth in 13 years. Every single district and council grew in 2023 with the National VA Council and TSA Council reaching their highest levels of membership ever.
The number of union members in the public sector in 2023 continued to be high at 32.5% compared with 6% in the private sector.
Overall in both public and private sectors, more people are joining unions as the number of union membership went up by 139,000 last year.
More Black and Hispanic workers have joined a union both in terms of percentage and the actual number. Younger workers are also organizing despite facing anti-union attacks from big corporations like Amazon and Starbucks. The percentage of unionized workers aged 25-34 went up slightly from 10.2% to 11%.
For women, the actual number of women who belong to a union increased even though the percentage of women in unions slightly decreased.
Workers are joining unions because they have better pay, benefits, and working conditions. In 2023, union members had median weekly earnings of $1,263 while nonunion workers made $1,090.
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