In 2018, the union membership rate was 10.5 percent nationally and 19.8 percent in Washington, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Washington had the nation’s third-highest union membership rate.

Washington also had the nation’s third-highest private-sector union membership rate, at 12.9 percent. Washington’s public-sector union membership rate was 51.9 percent, the ninth-highest. (This breakout of public- and private-sector unionization by state is provided by Professors Barry Hirsch of Georgia State University and David Macpherson of Trinity University.)

Washington’s public-sector union membership rate decreased from 52.6 percent in 2017; the number of public-sector union members increased, but by less than the number of overall public employees. Meanwhile, the number of private-sector union members increased more than the number of total private-sector employees, so the private-sector unionization rate increased from 12.1 percent in 2017.

The chart below shows public- and private-sector unionization rates for Washington and the U.S. over time, and the table shows state unionization rankings for 2018.