Americans Favor Labor Unions Over Big Business Now More Than Ever
For decades, Americans were evenly divided in their relative support of labor unions and big business, but that’s no longer the case. Now, Americans are more likely to side with labor than at any time in the past 60 years. For people whose instincts about economic and political conflicts between unions and big business were honed more than a decade ago, it’s time to update your understanding.
According to newly released American National Election Studies (ANES) data from late 2024, analyzed and reported here for the first time, Americans feel more positively toward labor unions and more negatively toward big business than any time since ANES began asking the question in 1964.
In 2016, Americans’ sentiments toward labor and business split. Feelings toward big business stayed flat while feelings toward labor unions warmed to nearly a record high. In 2020, warmth toward labor unions kept climbing to a record high while sentiment toward big business fell to a record low.
Just-released data from late 2024 reveal that warmth toward labor unions climbed even higher while sentiment to big business fell even further, setting new records for warmth to labor unions and coolness to big business.
Regardless of the cause of the split, in fights between organized labor and organized capital, Americans are likely to support labor more now than any time on record.