History of Labor Unions Statistics
By the Numbers
Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers in 1975: 235
In 1995: 31
American Federation of Labor members in 1897: 265,000
Members in 1904: 1,675,000
Factor by which rates of union membership in the public sector today exceeds that in the private: 5
Percentage of workers in 2007 age 55 to 64 who were union members: 16.1
Percentage of workers 16 to 24 who were: 4.8
Percentage of unionized private sectors employees in the 1950s: 35
Percentage in 2007: 7.5
Percentage of unionized public sector employees in the 1960s: 10
Percentage in 2007: 36