Chart: The industries with the most union members

Are you a member of a union? Image: Getty

The birth of the union movement on the goldfields of Ballarat may be behind us, but Australian workers continue to engage with unions 164 years later, albeit in a more subdued form.

These days, 15 per cent of Australian employees are part of a trade union.

The average Australian union member is a woman over 40 who is working full-time, the latest statistics from the ABS reveal.

Workers in the education and training industry were much more likely to be in a union, with one third of workers describing themselves as such.

Here are the details.

Share of employees who are members of a trade union by industry

Source: ABS

Following the 33 per cent of education and training workers, those in the public administration and safety services (30 per cent) and the electricity, gas, water and waste services (29 per cent) were similarly likely to be in a union.

By job, professionals (21 per cent) were the most likely to be in a union followed by machinery operators and drivers (19 per cent). Community and personal service workers followed, with 18 per cent in a trade union.

Here’s that in a chart.

Share of employees who are members of a union by occupation

Source: ABS

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