Since 2003, unionization has declined in Illinois, in the Chicago region, and in America. There are
approximately 116,000 fewer union members in Illinois today than there were in 2003, contributing to the 1.26 million drop in union workers across the nation over that time. Declining union membership has primarily been the result of decreases in male unionization, white non-Latino unionization, and private sector unionization. Despite the long-term downward trends, however, both the unionization rate and total union membership increased in Illinois last year.