Labor Unions’ Public Approval Rating Dips as US Economy Cools

Public approval of labor unions over the past year fell as economic growth in the US slowed, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

The overall approval rating of unions was 67%, down from 71% in 2022, while disapproval rose from 26% to 29%. It is the first time since 2016 unions felt a dip in public sentiment, though their approval rating remains historically high.

The data shows broad public support for workers enmeshed in high-profile labor disputes. Three quarters of respondents said they sympathize with workers more than auto companies as the United Auto Workers union tries to reach an agreement with carmakers by a Sept. 14 deadline. On the Hollywood strikes, 72% polled said they sympathized more with striking screenwriters than studios, and 67% viewed actors more favorably.

The mixed numbers come as the labor market slows from a post-pandemic boom. The US economy in July added less than half the jobs it did a year earlier—187,000 compared to more than 500,000. The US Department of Labor on Tuesday reported 8.8 million open jobs last month, down from 9.2 million in June and 11.4 million in July 2022.

Yet the Gallup poll shows a favorable view of unions’ effect on the economy, with 61% saying it is mostly positive. Seventy-seven percent said they believe unions help their members, while 47% believe they also help nonunion workers.

An AFL-CIO poll released Tuesday found 71% support for unions overall. The strongest demographic was workers under 30, 88% of whom said they support unions.

“I have never been more confident that this generation is going to build a labor movement that is strong, even stronger, than any we’ve had in the past,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a pre-Labor Day speech.