Three Takeaways From the NLRB’s FY 2025 Petition Statistics

Quick Hits

• In FY 2025, union election petitions filed by employees decreased to 2,100, marking the lowest number since 2022, yet still surpassing the first two years of the Biden administration.
• Unions achieved a high win percentage of 81.9 percent in representation elections, though the percentage reflected a slight decline from the previous year.
• Employer petitions dropped to 237, but employer petitions have been significantly higher since the NLRB’s 2023 decision regarding voluntary recognition procedures.

While there is usually some fanfare from the NLRB on the release of its annual statistics, the NLRB has quietly released its annual representation case statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2025 on its website. So, what do the latest figures tell us about labor relations in FY 2025? Here are three takeaways:

1. Number of Union Petitions Down

In FY 2025, employees/unions filed a total of 2,100 petitions for representation elections, known as “RC” petitions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this was the fewest number of petitions filed in a fiscal year since 2022. But while a drop in union petitions may have been anticipated with President Donald Trump taking office and Republicans holding the majority in the U.S. Congress, total filings were still higher than the first two years of the Biden administration, which was seen as more union friendly. The numbers suggest that employees remain highly interested in union representation compared to the years before President Biden took office.

• Union Election Win Percentage Remains High

Unions won 81.9 percent of elections held following an RC petition in FY 2025, an increase from 79.9 percent in FY 2024, but a slight decrease from 82.8 percent in FY 2023. Still, unions continue to enjoy an astounding overall win rate in elections. The numbers show that unions continue to have a strong chance of winning representation when the question goes to an election.

• Employer Petitions Drop, but Remain Higher Than Past Years

The number of employer petitions for union elections, known as “RM” petitions, fell to 237 in FY 2025 from 489 in FY 2024. Still, the numbers for the past two fiscal years represent a significant increase from the previous high of sixty-two, going back to FY 2016. The increase is likely attributable to the continuing effect of the NLRB’s August 2023 decision that requires employers to file a petition after receiving a written demand for voluntary recognition to preserve an election. The reduction may suggest that unions have not found that decision and its change in process as advantageous as they initially hoped. Instead, unions may continue to rely predominantly on filing their own RC petition after making a written demand.

Next Steps

Despite a change in the political climate, employers may not want to sleep on labor relations in 2026, and instead continue focusing on maintaining positive employee relations. While the number of RC petitions filed by employees/unions dropped in FY 2025 from the previous four years, the numbers still suggest continued interest in organizing, particularly compared to when former President Joe Biden took office.

Ogletree Deakins’ Traditional Labor Relations Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates on the Traditional Labor Relations blog as additional information becomes available.

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