A recent Pew Research analysis of several studies regarding the place of labor unions in the U.S. has revealed that a slim majority (55%) of Americans believe that unions positively impact the country’s direction.

Not surprisingly, since unions have historically been associated with supporting Democratic candidates, there is a significant partisan gap in these numbers. Only 35% of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents believe in unions’ positive role in the country. Three-fourths (75%) of Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents view union contributions as helpful.

Union membership is also an indicator of beliefs, with 74% of union members and 53% of non-members saying unions positively influence the life of the country.

In the 2024 Presidential election, Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris holds a 10% lead over former President Donald Trump (38% to 28%) in Americans’ opinion of who would be better for union members.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership was cut in half (from 20.1% to 10.1%) between 1983 and 2022. According to Pew’s analysis, slightly more than half (54%) of respondents believe this decline in union membership is bad for the country, with 43% saying it is positive. Once again, there is a partisan gap, with 58% of Republicans and only 29% of Democrats saying the demise of unions is a net positive for the United States.

With each presidential campaign seeking to court small and specific demographics in the election, these findings can impact the upcoming election results. In recent weeks, Vice President Harris has barnstormed union halls across the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Several key unions, including the AFL-CIO, have endorsed Harris, while others, including the Teamsters, have declined to endorse a candidate. Even so, it is unclear if these endorsements will have a determining effect on election results, as there are lingering questions about how rank-and-file union members will vote.

Pew’s analysis can be found here.