16.28 million wage and salary workers were members of union in 2001, while 16.26 million were members in 2000. Increases in union membership were offset by layoffs in union jobs. Government employees continued to have higher unionization rates than private industry employees.
See "Union Membership Steady in 2001 at 13.5% of Nation's Work Force", Nancy Cleeland, Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2002