Unions haven’t been this popular since the 1960s, according to a new Gallup poll.
The big picture: The low unemployment rate has helped shift the balance of power between workers and employers, laying the groundwork for the recent union formations at corporate giants like Starbucks and Amazon.
And before that, the pandemic highlighted the difficult conditions facing essential workers — like those in food service and healthcare.
What they're saying: "U.S. workers see unions as critical to fixing our nation’s broken workplace — where most workers have little power or agency at work," wrote the Economic Policy Institute Tuesday in response to the Gallup poll findings.
By the numbers: About 71% of Americans say they approve of unions, up from 64% pre-pandemic and a low point of 48% in 2009, the polling found.
What we're watching: The Federal Reserve is on a mission to crush inflation — which is expected to send the unemployment rate back up a bit.
The big question: Whether that'll shift the power balance back toward employers.