The number of workers covered under union contracts increased to about 16.5 million in 2025, up from 16 million in 2024 and the highest level since 2009, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Guardian says the 16-year high comes despite ongoing attempts by the Trump administration to wipe out collective bargaining agreements for tens of thousands of federal workers.

The increase stems from workers joining unions as members – 14.7 million U.S. workers were union members in 2025, up from 14.2 million workers in 2024.

The percentage of all workers in the U.S. covered by a union contracts ticked up to 11.2% in 2025, compared with 11.1% in 2024. Union membership increased from 9.9% in 2024 to 10% in 2025.

Union density in the U.S. has declined drastically in recent decades from above 30% in the late 1940s and 50s. However, public approval of labor unions has increased, now ranging between 67% and 71%, according to Gallup, comparable to the late 1950s and early 60s.

The Trump administration is pushing to cancel collective bargaining agreements for about 1 million federal workers, which would offset these slight gains. Trump issued an executive order in March 2025 that sought to cancel all collective bargaining agreements for most federal employees, citing national security concerns. In August 2025, the administration unilaterally stripped hundreds of thousands of federal workers of their union contracts after a federal appeals court overruled an injunction which halted the plans.