since hitting its lowest point of 48% in 2009, during the Great Recession. Line graph. Americans' approval of labor unions since 1936.
Approval is currently 65%.Gallup's initial reading of the public's support for labor unions was 72% in 1936, at the advent of the modern U.S.
organized labor movement, and approval peaked at 75% in 1953 and 1957. The lowest ratings to date have been recorded during particularly weak economic times.
This includes the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s -- when support fell below 60% for the first time -- and 2009 through 2012, when it hovered around 50%.While the latest reading, from a July 30-Aug.