Documentation for the Union Membership and Coverage Database

Unionstats.com

Union Membership and Coverage Database from the CPS

(Documentation)

The Union Membership and Coverage Database, available at www.unionstats.com, is an Internet data resource providing private and public sector labor union membership, coverage, and density estimates compiled from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly household survey, using BLS methods. Economy-wide estimates are provided beginning in 1973; estimates by state, detailed industry, and detailed occupation begin in 1983; and estimates by metropolitan area begin in 1986. The Database, constructed by Barry Hirsch (Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University) and David Macpherson (Department of Economics, Trinity University), is updated annually.

To access union tables, click on links in the left-side index

Use of figures from the Database requires citation.

A description of the Database is provided in the paper below, available in pdf.

Barry T. Hirsch and David A. Macpherson, "Union Membership and Coverage Database from the Current Population Survey: Note," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 2003, pp. 349-54. (in pdf)

Union data compilations from the 2012 CPS posted January 26, 2013

Note: CPS sample sizes (denoted by "Obs") are very small for some cells. Use union estimates cautiously.

CPS Documentation Files and Links:

Equivalence/differences in UnionStats.com and BLS estimates of union membership and density

CPS Main Page

CPS State Classifications

CPS Metropolitan Area Classifications (May 2004 to present)

CPS Metropolitan Area Classifications (September 1995 to April 2004)

CPS Metropolitan Area Classifications (October 1985 to May 1995)

CPS Industry Classifications (2009 to present) minor changes from 2003-08 codes

CPS Industry Classifications (2003-2008)

CPS Industry Classifications (1992-2002)

CPS Industry Classifications (1983-91)

CPS Occupation Classifications (beginning 2011)

CPS Occupation Classifications (2003-2010)

CPS Occupation Classifications (1992-2002)

CPS Occupation Classifications (1983-91)

Summary of 1980/90 Ind/Occ Changes; Program to Create Time-Consistent Ind/Occ Codes

Pareto Estimates of Mean Earnings Above CPS Weekly Earnings Top-Code Caps

Additional Labor Union Databases:

State Union Density in the U.S., 1964-2012 (from Monthly Labor Review, nonagricultural employment)

Data Appendix (Excel file) that accompanies Hirsch article in Journal of Economic Perspectives, Winter 2008

New Mappings of Union Membership and Density, 3-yr moving averages of UnionStats national & state data, from Colin Gordon (University of Iowa)

Newer Metropolitan area figures showing employment, union membership, and density from UnionStats. Colin Gordon (University of Iowa)

Author home pages and e-mail:

Barry Hirsch home page Hirsch e-mail

David Macpherson home page Macpherson e-mail