Figure D
Pay advantage for autoworkers declines as unionization falls: Ratio of auto industry unionization rate to economywide unionization rate, and percent pay advantage for the median auto worker over the median worker economywide, 1983–2020
| Year | Auto-industry-to-economywide unionization ratio | Median wage premium in auto sector |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 2.65 | 50.0% |
| 1984 | 2.85 | 43.9% |
| 1985 | 2.91 | 55.9% |
| 1986 | 2.86 | 60.0% |
| 1987 | 2.91 | 58.0% |
| 1988 | 2.96 | 62.5% |
| 1989 | 2.78 | 56.0% |
| 1990 | 2.73 | 54.8% |
| 1991 | 2.83 | 54.5% |
| 1992 | 2.84 | 48.7% |
| 1993 | 2.71 | 49.0% |
| 1994 | 2.60 | 40.0% |
| 1995 | 2.64 | 40.0% |
| 1996 | 2.82 | 45.0% |
| 1997 | 2.63 | 42.9% |
| 1998 | 2.40 | 36.4% |
| 1999 | 2.48 | 34.4% |
| 2000 | 2.47 | 25.0% |
| 2001 | 2.52 | 24.9% |
| 2002 | 2.44 | 20.2% |
| 2003 | 2.21 | 22.5% |
| 2004 | 2.18 | 16.3% |
| 2005 | 2.13 | 17.7% |
| 2006 | 2.04 | 17.2% |
| 2007 | 1.88 | 13.3% |
| 2008 | 1.81 | 15.2% |
| 2009 | 1.45 | 15.6% |
| 2010 | 1.61 | 14.8% |
| 2011 | 1.80 | 11.3% |
| 2012 | 1.65 | 4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.56 | 5.9% |
| 2014 | 1.53 | 5.1% |
| 2015 | 1.41 | 4.9% |
| 2016 | 1.50 | 2.8% |
| 2017 | 1.64 | 6.7% |
| 2018 | 1.48 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | 1.33 | 4.4% |
| 2020 | 1.23 | 7.1% |
Notes: Wage data are adjusted to 2020 dollars. Data are for employed workers ages 16 and older. Self-employed, self-incorporated workers are excluded. The auto industry includes auto assembly and auto parts. The unionization rate is the share of workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
Source: EPI analysis of BLS Current Population Survey (CPS) Outgoing Rotation Group (ORG) 1983–2020 microdata (EPI 2021).
This chart appears in:
Previous chart: « Demographics, wages, and benefits of workers in the unionized auto sector, nonunion auto sector, overall auto sector, and all industries