Union membership in Wisconsin declined by 28,000 in 2022, dropping below 200,000 for the first time since at least 2000, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state had 187,000 union members this past year, down from 215,000 in 2021. The 13% drop in overall membership was the largest since 2015 and nearly matched the 13.6% decline from 2012. The decline also dropped the rate of union membership in the state from 7.9% in 2021 to 7.1%.
Wisconsin has seen a sharp decline in union membership since 2010 with the implementation of Act 10 and right-to-work laws under former Gov. Scott Walker. In 2010, the rate was 14.2% and it had dropped to 11.2% by 2012. By 2015, the rate had declined to 8.3%.
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