Big Labor Union Organizing Plummets in 2025
Union Organizing Plummets in 2025: A Win for Worker Freedom and Choice
The sharp decline in the number of workers successfully organized by unions in 2025 marks a significant and welcome development for American workers and the broader economy. According to a recent analysis by Labor Relations Insider, based on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data, unions organized just 66,137 workers through representation elections last year—a 38 percent drop from the 106,857 organized in 2024.[i]
This reversal stands in stark contrast to the steady increases seen from 2021 to 2024, when the number of workers added through NLRB elections more than tripled.[ii] Despite unions maintaining a high 78 percent win rate in the elections that did occur—consistent with recent years—the overall impact has shrunk dramatically.[iii] The key driver? A shift toward smaller bargaining units. In 2025, 60 percent of all representation elections involved units of 25 employees or fewer, and only 2 percent featured units of 500 or more.[iv] This fragmentation means even “wins” add far fewer workers to union rolls, with the average number of workers organized per victory falling by about 20 percent year-over-year.[v]
Healthcare emerged as something of an outlier, accounting for 22 percent of all elections (more than any other industry) and delivering an impressive 88 percent win rate for unions.[vi] Yet outside this sector, results were more mixed, underscoring that aggregate success metrics can mask weaker performance elsewhere.[vii]
For supporters of voluntary association and employee freedom, these numbers highlight a positive reality: fewer workers are being swept into union representation through the NLRB process. This trend aligns with broader patterns showing declining union density in the private sector, where membership hovers around just 6 percent of workers.[viii] Forced unionism—where employees can be compelled to pay dues or join as a condition of employment—continues to lose ground as more Americans exercise their right to opt out or avoid unionization altogether.
Right to Work laws, now in place in 26 states, play a crucial role here by ensuring no worker is forced to fund a union against their will. These policies empower individuals to decide for themselves whether union membership benefits them, fostering competition and accountability that ultimately benefit workers. States without forced dues consistently show stronger job growth, higher disposable incomes (adjusted for cost of living), and more dynamic economies—outcomes that benefit employees far more than monopoly bargaining ever could.
As union organizing efforts yield smaller, more fragmented gains, the case for expanding Right to Work protections nationwide grows stronger. Workers deserve the freedom to choose, without coercion, how—or if—they associate in the workplace. The 2025 data is clear evidence that, when given more choice, many are choosing independence over compulsory unionism.
The National Institute for Labor Relations Research remains committed to providing the facts on these critical labor issues and advocating for policies that prioritize individual liberty and economic opportunity for all American workers.
[i] Labor Relations Insider, “Workers Organized by Unions Plummets in 2025,” January 21, 2026. https://news.lrionline.com/headline-workers-organized-by-unions-plummets-in-2025/
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data referenced in various 2025-2026 analyses; private-sector union membership rate approximately 6.0% as of recent reports. See also: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf (historical context from BLS releases).