Report: Lowest percentage union participation state is No. 9 in worker freedom

(The Center Square) – North Carolina is ninth in the nation overall in a new report examining freedom to pursue work arrangements best serving individuals and their families.

The labor policy report from the American Legislative Exchange Council can be used by individuals and businesses to determine their respective best choices. ALEC believes “increasing labor freedom not only increases flexibility and opportunity, but it also increases economic competitiveness and makes states more desirable locations for those looking to grow in their careers.”

The authors use 10 state-level labor policies to promote worker freedom in analyzing all 50 states.

North Carolina’s overall score in the fourth annual States That Work report is 4.5 stars. It is behind Arizona, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Idaho.

State public sector union membership in North Carolina is 5.72%, the lowest in the country, and state private sector union membership is 1.92%, third-lowest in the country behind South Dakota's 1.46% (No. 3 at 7.97% for public sector union membership) and Arkansas' 1.91% (No. 4 at 8.04%).

North Carolina is estimated by the report to have more than 3.9 million in private employment, with 75,521 in unions, and more than 600,000 in public employment, with 34,913 in unions.

Of the eight states with larger population than North Carolina’s estimated 11.2 million, the public sector union membership percentages are 16.73% for 18th lowest in Georgia (11.3 million population); 16.92% for 19th in Texas (31.7 million); 23.94% for 26th in Florida (23.4 million); 40.93% for 36th in Ohio (11.9 million); 48.27% for 41st in Pennsylvania (13 million); 48.42% for 42ndd in Illinois (12.7 million); 49.78% for 43rd in California (39.3 million); and 65.14% for 50th in New York (20 million).

This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com.