In 2022, the union membership rate for public-sector workers in the United States was 33.1%, while only 12% of all workers belonged to a union. This is a decline from 1983, when 23.3% of workers were represented by unions. In the same year, the top 1% of income earners earned almost 20% of the total income. The overall union membership rate fell slightly from 2021 to 2022, standing at 10.1%. Private sector union membership was significantly lower at 6%, compared to the higher rate of 33.1% for public sector workers. This is also significantly lower than the global average of union membership. In 2022, 10.1% of US workers belonged to a union, which is a decline from 20.1% in 1983. The role of a full-time union official is to operate the union office and support union members.