Gallup’s annual labor survey, conducted August 3–24, 2026 and released around September 1, found that 71% of Americans approve of labor unions, tying the 71% reading from August 2022 as the highest approval rating since 1965. Twenty-one percent disapprove, and 8% have no opinion.
How 71% stacks up historically
Gallup has tracked union approval annually since the mid-20th century, making this one of the more established barometers of how Americans view organized labor. Approval has topped 71% only in the 1950s and early 1960s, when readings reached as high as 75% (1953 and 1957) and 73% (1959). Since 1965, this year’s 71% is the best Gallup has recorded.
| Gallup labor union survey, Aug. 2026 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Approve of unions | 71% |
| Disapprove | 21% |
| No opinion | 8% |
| Want unions to have more influence | 47% |
| Last time approval was this high | August 2022 (71%) |
| Highest approval on record | 75% (1953, 1957) |
Nearly half want unions to have more say
The same survey found that 47% of Americans would like unions to have more influence than they currently do — also among the highest readings on record for that question. Together, the two figures point to a sustained, broad base of public goodwill toward organized labor, landing amid a year of high-profile strikes and contract fights across nursing, manufacturing, and transportation that we have covered throughout 2026.
Gallup has tracked this question through very different stretches of public opinion. Union approval fell sharply during the recession years of the late 2000s before beginning a long recovery over the following decade and a half. That approval has now climbed back to a six-decade high says less about any single policy fight and more about a durable shift: after years of visible strikes, contract wins, and pay disputes making headlines, more Americans are willing to say organized labor is, on balance, a good thing.
This is a measure of public opinion, not a measure of any individual household’s coverage. Strong public approval of unions is useful context for how outreach to union households gets framed — leaning on the value of membership and negotiated benefits rather than working against any stigma — but it is not a substitute for looking at what a specific union contract’s benefits actually cover, and what they don’t.
Why benefits popularity isn’t the same as benefits coverage
A union’s benefits are only as durable as the contract and the employer behind them. That has been on display all year: our coverage of a 411-day nurse strike at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital and a broader wave of nurse strikes over staffing and wages shows how even well-regarded, widely approved-of union representation can still mean a long stretch of lost income during a dispute. Public approval of unions does not change that dynamic for a household living through a strike or a slow contract fight.
Why this matters for UTL readers
For union families, the useful takeaway is less about the approval number itself and more about what it implies: organized labor and the benefits it negotiates remain broadly valued, which is exactly why it is worth protecting those gains with coverage that does not depend on a contract cycle. Our union members coverage page, whole life and final expense pages, and free calculator are good starting points.
Sources
- Gallup — 2026 Labor Unions survey results (PDF)
- SHRM — Union Approval Rating Reaches Highest Point Since 1965
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of Americans approve of labor unions in 2026?
71%, according to Gallup’s annual labor survey conducted August 3–24, 2026. That ties the August 2022 reading as the highest approval rating since 1965; 21% disapprove and 8% have no opinion.
Has union approval ever been higher than 71%?
Yes, but only in the 1950s and early 1960s, when Gallup recorded readings as high as 75% (1953 and 1957) and 73% (1959). Since 1965, 71% is the highest union approval Gallup has measured.
Do most Americans want unions to have more influence?
A record-tying 47% of Americans told Gallup they would like labor unions to have more influence than they currently do, among the highest readings Gallup has recorded for that question.
Protect the gains your union has already won
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