The Supreme Court on Wednesday, in the case of Janus contra AFSCME decided that public sector employees could opt out of paying union dues. Unions enjoyed broad membership and support in the middle of the twentieth century. The decline in union membership in the private sector began in the early 1980s, as employers began to fight against trade unions. Through these targeted efforts, private sector union membership has plummeted, thus converging with public sector union membership numbers. Public sector membership numbers have remained constant over time. In some states There are more public sector unions in some regions than others. New York State comes first, with around 7 in 10 public sector employees being unionised. Unions in the public sector are weakest in the South, where industrialisation never took hold with the same intensity as in the North and Midwest. Employment In the USA, the 20th century has dramatically changed with the rise and fall of trade unions. Further infographics can be found at Statista