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 53.9 percent professional
and technical.
In the professional and related
occupations, 18.7 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 employment is projected to
grow 10.1 percent between 2008 and 2018, the growth for professional and
technical workers is projected to be nearly 17 percent, or 5 million jobs.
Between 2008 and 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics projects about 4 million new professional and related jobs in the
healthcare and social assistant sector; 805,000 in educational services, and
another 4.2 million in professional and business services.
Twenty-one percent of all jobs in 2008 required
a bachelor’s degree or higher. Fourteen of the 30 occupations expected to grow
most rapidly between 2008 and 2018 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, May 2010.
