Workers could get a 14.5% raise if union membership tripled

A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) finds that boosting unionization would put an additional $1.2 trillion in the pockets of workers annually. In 2025, the number of American workers represented by a union climbed to 16.5 million, the highest share of unionized workers in 16 years. During an era of declining union membership, this is no small feat. The number of workers who long to be part of a union, however, is far higher—over 50 million.