Why it matters: The strong labor market of the past few years emboldened workers and union organizers to take a harder line, pushing more folks to the picket line.
Strikes happened across a range of industries, but the vast majority happened in the service sector — think education and health care, two industries suffering from work shortages and post-pandemic burnout.
Reality check: These numbers are minuscule compared to the kind of activity last seen in the 20th century.
Back in 1981, as the generally anti-labor Reagan administration was getting underway, there were 145 strikes.