Protocol - Percent Unionized for Non-Agricultural Labor Force
Description:
The protocol describes how to extract data on labor union membership, coverage, and density estimates from variables collected through the Current Population Survey.
Specific Instructions:
None
Protocol:
Percent Unionized for Non-Agricultural Labor Force
Access to historical data of union membership or jobs covered by a union can be found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpslutabs.htm). Union affiliation can be accessed from three tables.
Table 1. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by selected characteristics
Selected characteristics include age and sex; race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex; full- or part-time status. For each characteristic, the user may view employment and union membership data.
Table 3. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by occupation and industry
Occupation categories include Management, professional, and related occupations; Service occupations; Sales and office occupations; Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; Production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and related subcategories for each.
Industry categories include Private and Public sector and related subcategories.
For each characteristic, the user may view employment and union membership data.
Table 5. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by state
For each US state selected, the user may view employment and union membership data.
For all data in the tables:
Total employed = Total number employed
Members of unions = members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union
Members of unions (Total) = Total number of members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union
Members of unions (Percent of employed) = The percentage of members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union out of the total number employed
Represented by unions = both union members and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract
Represented by unions (Total) = Total number of both union members and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract
Represented by unions (Percent of employed) = The percentage of both union members and workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract out of the total number employed
Numbers reported are in the thousands.
After retrieving results, the user may adjust the range of years for which data is shown, and also has the option to include line graphs. All data will have downloadable excel files.
Protocol Name from Source:
Current Population Survey, Labor Force Items
Availability:
Personnel and Training Required
Knowledge of census Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) codes and access to Excel or other statistical software to read the data and conduct further analysis
Equipment Needs
Access to a desktop or laptop computer with Internet access to download raw data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor’s website, Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey (https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpslutabs.htm). Statistical packages (e.g., Excel, SPSS, SAS) for data manipulation.
Requirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | No |
Mode of Administration
Secondary Data Analysis
Life Stage:
Adolescent, Adult, Senior
Participants:
Not applicable, derived from publicly available secondary data
Selection Rationale
The U.S. Census Bureau has been conducting the Current Population Survey (CPS) since 1940. This survey collects up-to-date facts about the number of Americans who are employed, unemployed, or not in the market for jobs.
Language
English
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Data Elements (CDE) | Social Determinants of Health Current Population Survey, Labor Force Items Percentage Value | 7263284 | CDE Browser |
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
The Expert Review Panel has not reviewed this measure yet.
Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2007). Labor force statistics from the Current Population Survey. Retrieved May 22, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpslutabs.htm
General References
Halpern-Manners, A., & Warren, J. R. (2012). Panel conditioning in longitudinal studies: Evidence from labor force items in the Current Population Survey. Demography, 49(4), 1499–1519. doi: 10.1007/s13524-012-0124-x
Hirsch, B. T., & Macpherson, D. A. (n.d.). Union membership and earnings data book: Compilations from the Current Population Survey. Washington, DC: Bureau of National Affairs. Updated annually to the present.
Hirsch, B. T., & Macpherson, D. A. (2003). Union membership and coverage database from the Current Population Survey: Note. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 56(2), 349–554. Updated annually at www.unionstats.com.
Milkman, R., & Luce, S. (2017). Labor unions and the Great Recession. Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 3(3), 145–165.
Perusek, G. (2018). U.S. union membership data in perspective. Retrieved May 22, 2019, from https://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/2018/03/03/u-s-union-membership-data-perspective/
Walker, A. N. (2014). Labor's enduring divide: The distinct path of public sector unions in the United States. Studies in American Political Development, 28(2), 175–200.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Current Population Survey, 2018 Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement (machine-readable data file). Conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC.
Protocol ID:
290601
Variables:
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping |
|---|
Measure Name:
Percent Unionized for Non-Agricultural Labor Force
Release Date:
May 11, 2020
Definition
Percent unionized for non-agricultural labor force is the percentage of wage and salary workers who are members of unions or are covered by union agreements in the private and public sectors of the non-agricultural labor force by state and metropolitan area.
Purpose
Unions can affect an employee’s wages and fringe benefits, including paid leave, health benefits, and pension plans. In addition, the competitive influence of union employers can affect the pay, benefits, and workplace safety of employees at non-union sites in the same labor market.
Keywords
Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, CPS, Estimates by Spatial Units, Labor Force Items, Labor Force Statistics, Salaried Workers, Union Membership Rate, Unionized Workers, Unions, Wage