Among workers employed in the private sector, union membership fell to 9 percent, down from 9.4 percent in 1999. Membership among government workers rose to 37.5 percent, up from 37.3 percent. About 9.1 million of the nation's union members work in the private sector, while 7.1 million are government workers.

Last year, according to the AFL-CIO, unions organized 400,000 new members, compared with less than 100,000 in 1995. However, a larger number of union jobs have been lost as a result of retirements and layoffs by employers as the economy has slowed down.

Some 194,000 jobs were eliminated in the manufacturing sector in 2000, while the apparel-making and auto sectors each cut 45,000 positions.

AFL-CIO officials say that total union membership is still up 150,000 from three years ago. But for unions to add members on a net basis, they would need to sign up 500,000 to 1 million new members each year.

The highest unionization rate among nongovernment employees is in transportation and public utilities, at 24 percent. Manufacturing stands at 14.8 percent and construction at 18.3 percent.

About 1.7 million workers were represented at their workplace by a union, but were not union members. Of those between the ages of 16 and 24 who are employed, only 5 percent are in a union.

Blacks continue to have the highest rate of unionization at 17.1 percent. Nearly one-fifth of Black men are union members. Overall, 15.2 percent of men are union members, and 11.5 percent of women.

More than half of the 16.3 million union members in the United States live in seven states. Union membership rates are over 20 percent in five states--New York, Hawaii, Alaska, Michigan, and New Jersey.

Two states have membership rates below 5 percent--North Carolina and South Carolina. The three states with the greatest number of union members are California, with 2.3 million, New York, with 2 million, and Illinois, with 1 million.  
 
 
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