Union ranks shrink

The newest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Statistics indicate that there were 154,000 labor union members in Nevada, representing 14.6 percent of wage and salary workers in the state. That’s higher than the national figure—11.8 percent—but lower than the 15 percent reported for Nevada in 2010.

Union membership has fluctuated significantly over the years. The highest recent Nevada high was in 1996, when 20.4 percent of workers were union members. The low was 2004, at 14.3 percent—not far below the 2011 numbers.