Unionization in Canada, 1981 to 2022

The Canadian economy has experienced numerous changes over the last four decades. Employment has moved away from manufacturing and towards service sector jobs. Technological changes have brought computer-based technologies and, more recently, robotics and artificial intelligence to the workplace. World prices of oil and natural resources have fluctuated considerably. Since March 2020, work arrangements have been altered substantially, with thousands of employees starting to work from home. In this evolving context, how have unionization rates evolved in Canada over the last four decades? This article uses data from the Survey of Work History of 1981 and the Labour Force Survey to answer this question.