Since 2005, unionization has declined in Illinois, in the Chicago region, and in America. There are
approximately 97,000 fewer union members in Illinois today than there were in 2005, contributing to the 1.12 million drop in union workers across the nation over that time. Declining union membership has primarily been the result of decreases in male unionization, Latino and Latina unionization, and private sector unionization. Despite the long-term downward trends, however, there has been some good news for the Illinois labor movement.