ANALYSIS: Union Membership Is Actually Flourishing, Not Flagging

Pop quiz: Which year was better for union membership, 2020 or 2022?

It seems a silly question, comparing the bygone “annus horribilis” of shutdowns and furloughs to the just-finished year of surges in unions’ organizing strength and popularity.

But judging by the preeminent statistic in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ newly released annual report, it’s no contest: 2020 trounces 2022.

After all, the union membership rate reached a seven-year high of 10.8% in 2020. But in 2022, as any number of news sources have been quick to point out, that rate fell to an all-time low of ...