Charlotte now holds the lowest union membership rate of any large metro area in the country, according to a new report by Construction Coverage. Just 1.4% of workers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area are union members—totaling 16,616 employees across a workforce of more than 1.1 million.
The analysis, which reviewed union membership rates across over 250 U.S. metros and all 50 states, highlights a broader national trend. Only 9.9% of U.S. workers were union members in 2024, down from 24.1% in 1979. Researchers cite globalization, the rise of gig work, evolving labor laws, and employer resistance as key factors behind the long-term decline.
Despite lower membership rates, union workers still see higher earnings. In 2024, full-time union employees earned a median of $1,337 per week—17.5% more than non-union workers, who averaged $1,138.
Charlotte’s ranking reflects its location in a right-to-work state, where union participation is optional and labor laws often favor employers. North Carolina, South Carolina, and South Dakota all posted union membership rates below 3%. By contrast, Hawaii (26.6%), New York (20.6%), and Alaska (17.6%) led the nation in union representation.
Union Membership Rates by City
| Top Large Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 20.2% |
| 2. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 19.3% |
| 3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 17.8% |
| 4. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 17.3% |
| 5. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 16.5% |
| 6. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 15.7% |
| 7. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 15.4% |
| 8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 15.1% |
| 9. Rochester, NY | 14.9% |
| 10. Fresno, CA | 13.9% |
| 11. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 13.6% |
| 12. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 13.3% |
| 13. Pittsburgh, PA | 13.3% |
| 14. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 13.2% |
| 15. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 13.2% |
| Bottom Large Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1.4% |
| 2. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 3.2% |
| 3. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 3.4% |
| 4. Tucson, AZ | 3.4% |
| 5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3.6% |
| 6. Richmond, VA | 3.6% |
| 7. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 4.0% |
| 8. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 4.0% |
| 9. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 4.0% |
| 10. Raleigh, NC | 4.0% |
| 11. Austin-Round Rock, TX | 4.1% |
| 12. Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 4.2% |
| 13. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 4.4% |
| 14. Tulsa, OK | 4.6% |
| 15. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4.7% |
| Top Midsize Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Urban Honolulu, HI | 26.8% |
| 2. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 24.1% |
| 3. Stockton-Lodi, CA | 23.9% |
| 4. Flint, MI | 23.4% |
| 5. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 20.8% |
| 6. Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 20.1% |
| 7. Modesto, CA | 19.7% |
| 8. Springfield, MA | 19.6% |
| 9. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 18.0% |
| 10. Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA | 17.7% |
| 11. Worcester, MA-CT | 17.1% |
| 12. Syracuse, NY | 16.9% |
| 13. Ann Arbor, MI | 16.4% |
| 14. New Haven-Milford, CT | 16.2% |
| 15. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 16.1% |
| Bottom Midsize Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Spartanburg, SC | 0.0% |
| 2. Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 1.1% |
| 3. Lubbock, TX | 1.1% |
| 4. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 1.2% |
| 5. Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 1.4% |
| 6. Asheville, NC | 1.4% |
| 7. Columbia, SC | 1.6% |
| 8. Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 1.6% |
| 9. Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1.7% |
| 10. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 1.7% |
| 11. Fayetteville, NC | 1.9% |
| 12. Ocala, FL | 2.1% |
| 13. Killeen-Temple, TX | 2.5% |
| 14. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 2.6% |
| 15. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 2.7% |
| Top Small Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | 29.4% |
| 2. Utica-Rome, NY | 23.6% |
| 3. Medford, OR | 23.5% |
| 4. Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 23.4% |
| 5. Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ | 20.1% |
| 6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 18.3% |
| 7. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 17.9% |
| 8. Barnstable Town, MA | 17.4% |
| 9. Norwich-New London, CT | 17.2% |
| 10. Muskegon, MI | 16.9% |
| 11. Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 16.7% |
| 12. Kennewick-Richland, WA | 16.1% |
| 13. Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 16.1% |
| 14. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 15.4% |
| 15. Binghamton, NY | 14.8% |
| Bottom Small Metros | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 0.0% |
| 2. Columbus, GA-AL | 0.0% |
| 3. Goldsboro, NC | 0.0% |
| 4. Warner Robins, GA | 0.0% |
| 5. St. George, UT | 0.0% |
| 6. Burlington, NC | 0.9% |
| 7. Longview, TX | 1.0% |
| 8. Sherman-Denison, TX | 1.0% |
| 9. Monroe, LA | 1.0% |
| 10. Gainesville, GA | 1.8% |
| 11. Farmington, NM | 1.8% |
| 12. Roanoke, VA | 1.9% |
| 13. Athens-Clarke County, GA | 2.0% |
| 14. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 2.0% |
| 15. Bloomington, IN | 2.1% |
Union Membership Rates by State
| Top States | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. Hawaii | 26.6% |
| 2. New York | 20.6% |
| 3. Alaska | 17.6% |
| 4. Connecticut | 16.5% |
| 5. New Jersey | 16.2% |
| 6. Washington | 15.9% |
| 7. Oregon | 15.9% |
| 8. Massachusetts | 14.6% |
| 9. California | 14.5% |
| 10. Rhode Island | 14.4% |
| 11. Vermont | 14.3% |
| 12. Minnesota | 14.1% |
| 13. Michigan | 13.4% |
| 14. Illinois | 13.1% |
| 15. Maine | 13.1% |
| Bottom States | Rate* |
|---|---|
| 1. North Carolina | 2.4% |
| 2. South Dakota | 2.7% |
| 3. South Carolina | 2.8% |
| 4. Arkansas | 3.6% |
| 5. Utah | 3.7% |
| 6. Arizona | 3.7% |
| 7. Georgia | 3.8% |
| 8. Louisiana | 3.9% |
| 9. Texas | 4.5% |
| 10. Tennessee | 4.6% |
| 11. North Dakota | 5.0% |
| 12. Idaho | 5.0% |
| 13. Florida | 5.1% |
| 14. Virginia | 5.2% |
| 15. Mississippi | 5.2% |
*Union membership rate
