Business & Finance club - USA: In fact, New York has had the highest membership rate for 13 of the last 15 years, in part because of the many public-sector union members in New York City. Across the country, union membership has been rising among government workers and falling among private-sector workers.

New York’s union membership rate was followed by those in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington State, which all had rates above 20 percent. Membership rates were lowest in Arkansas (3.1 percent).