Right to Work States Economically Out-Perform Forced-Unionism New Hampshire

A man in a suit and tie points to an image of a bar graph.


In making his case for a New Hampshire Right to Work law, incoming Gov. Chris Sununu can accurately note that, when regional cost-of-living differences are considered, employees in Right to Work states generally have higher pay and benefits than their counterparts in forced-unionism states. Image: wmur.com

Last month, New Hampshire Executive Council Member Chris Sununu was elected as governor after running a campaign in which he publicly pledged again and again to fight for passage of a state Right to Work law if victorious.

Now, as Sununu prepares to take over as the Granite State’s chief executive, he and his allies continue to make their case to legislators and the general public as to why protections for employees from compulsory union dues and fees are the right thing to do and should be instituted without delay.

In a commentary published this week (see the link below to read the whole thing), think-tank leader and interim Sununu Budget Director Charlie Arlinghaus correctly points out that in recent years employment and worker pay have grown far more rapidly in states that have Right to Work laws on the books than in New Hampshire and other states where forced union dues are still authorized and promoted.

Over the next few weeks, as Big Labor’s anti-Right to Work campaign intensifies, it will also be worthwhile for the incoming governor and his supporters to emphasize the fact that, when regional differences in the cost of living are factored in, employee compensation is on average lower in forced-unionism states than in states where unionism is voluntary.

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, a state government agency, in 2015 the overall cost of housing, food, energy, medical care and other necessities for residents of the Granite State was 18.2% above the national average. Meanwhile, the average cost of living for residents of Right to Work states was 5.8% below the national average.

Once the total compensation (cash pay and benefits) earned by private-sector employees is adjusted for cost of living, it averaged $46,057 per employee (full-time and part-time combined) in the 25 Right to Work states last year.  That’s nearly $6000 higher than the average cost of living-adjusted compensation for private-sector employees in New Hampshire, and nearly $1600 higher than the average for all private-sector employees in non-Right to Work states.

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