Professional workers are confronting increasing challenges to their careers, brought about by rapidly changing technology, the turbulent world economy and new work methods. Like so many other workers, professionals are forming unions to enhance their professional autonomy, to be involved in making the decisions that affect their careers and for greater professional and personal security.
Fast facts on unions and professionals:
- The union movement is now 53 percent white collar.
- In the professional and related occupations, 18.6 percent of workers are union members, a higher proportion than the workforce in general.
- Employment in the professional and related occupations accounts for the largest share of 2008 employment: about 21 percent. These occupations are growing faster and adding more workers than any other major occupational category. While total U.S. employment is projected to grow 10.4 percent between 2006 and 2016, the growth for professional and technical workers is projected to be nearly 17 percent, or 5 million jobs.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 1.7 million new professional and related jobs in the healthcare and social assistant sector; 1.1 million in educational services, and another 1 million in professional, science and technical services.
- More than 25 percent of all jobs in 2008 required a bachelor’s degree or higher. Fifteen of the 30 occupations expected to grow most rapidly between 2006 and 2016 generally require a bachelor’s degree or higher as their most significant source of education and training. Another seven occupations on the list typically require a postsecondary vocational award or an associate’s degree. Most of the 30 fastest occupations are professional and related.
Source: Analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures by the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees; BLS, January 2007 and 2008.
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