The Union Advantage: Why State Protections Matter For years, labor unions in the US were in decline.
However, 2025 marked a turning point, with union membership increasing by 411,000 members – the largest gain since 2008 – according to a report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
State laws protecting collective bargaining rights are a key factor behind this uptick. States like California, New York, and Michigan have long been union friendly, but others are now following suit.