Comparing Trade Union Membership Rates across Europe: An Analysis Based on the 2023 European Social Survey

Since 2016, there has been a decline in the degree of unionisation in almost all of the countries surveyed. The results indicate that even the multiple exogenous shocks which marked the crisis years from 2020 onwards failed to reverse this downward trend. A more detailed look at the level of labour organisation shows that the gradual fall is mainly due to low recruitment among the staff of small businesses, among so-called ‘atypical’ employees, employees with a migration background and among younger age groups. At the same time, the gender gap in trade union membership is narrowing. In view of the disproportionate representation of older cohorts in labour unions and the low level of unionisation among the young, Europe’s trade unions risk a further decline in their membership unless they succeed in making holding a union card more attractive.