Union membership in U.S. companies slumped to a record low last year after the recession eroded employment in industries where organized labor represents the work force, the Labor Department reported.
Unions represented 6.9% of employees in companies, down from 7.2% in 2009, according to data released Friday by the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Member rolls shrank to 7.1 million, led by a drop in the construction industry to 13.1% of workers from 14.5% a year earlier, the bureau said.
The full report from Bloomberg News appeared on the Detroit Free Press website.