Growing number of professional workers support unions

- Emily Peck, author ofAxios Markets

In a survey six years ago, 56% of health care workers said they would support a union at work. Then came COVID.
The latest: Now, 71% of these workers said they'd support such efforts, according to a survey of more than 1,800 nonunionized professional workers conducted in August and released this week from the AFL-CIO, the U.S. labor federation.
Why it matters: Union popularity is at a 57-year-high in the U.S. — but here's a sign that organizing is increasingly viewed positively among a set of workers that's historically been less likely to organize. Less than half of union members in the U.S. are professionals.
By the numbers: Support for unionizing rose to 65% from 60% among all professionals, defined as those with at least an associate's degree who hold a job where a degree is required.
- Among tech workers, support for unions has been gaining ground for more than a decade, from just 33% in 2005 to 62% in 2022, according to the AFL-CIO's survey data.