5 States That Have America’s Strongest Unions

3. Washington

Union Members Employed: 16.5%

In 2023, union membership in Washington state slightly declined to 16.5% of the workforce, as per federal data. Despite the decrease, Washington maintained one of the highest union membership rates in the US, trailing only Hawaii and New York. 

In 2021, Washington state saw a rise in union membership among wage and salary workers, reaching 19.0%, up from 17.4% in 2020, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this was still below the peak of 23.8% in 1993 and above the low point of 16.8% in 2014-2015. Washington consistently maintained union membership rates above the US average since 1989, when state data became available.