Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America

United States of America: Number of strikes and lockouts was 31 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
31
Change on year
down 11.4%
World rank
32nd
of 99 countries
All-time high
425
in 1974
All-time low
5
in 2009
Years of data
45
1974–2024

Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America, 1974–2024

01002003004001974199920241974: 4251975: 2351976: 2311977: 2981978: 2191979: 2351980: 1871981: 1451982: 961983: 811984: 621990: 441991: 401992: 351993: 351994: 451995: 311996: 371997: 291998: 341999: 172000: 392001: 292002: 192003: 142004: 172005: 222006: 232007: 232008: 162009: 52010: 112011: 192012: 192013: 152014: 112015: 122016: 152017: 72018: 202019: 252021: 162022: 242023: 352024: 31

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America is 31, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.4% on the previous year and up 181.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America peaked at 425 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 5, in 2009.

That places United States of America 32nd out of 99 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America, 1974 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1974 425
1975 235 -44.7%
1976 231 -1.7%
1977 298 +29.0%
1978 219 -26.5%
1979 235 +7.3%
1980 187 -20.4%
1981 145 -22.5%
1982 96 -33.8%
1983 81 -15.6%
1984 62 -23.5%
1990 44 -29.0%
1991 40 -9.1%
1992 35 -12.5%
1993 35 +0.0%
1994 45 +28.6%
1995 31 -31.1%
1996 37 +19.4%
1997 29 -21.6%
1998 34 +17.2%
1999 17 -50.0%
2000 39 +129.4%
2001 29 -25.6%
2002 19 -34.5%
2003 14 -26.3%
2004 17 +21.4%
2005 22 +29.4%
2006 23 +4.5%
2007 23 +0.0%
2008 16 -30.4%
2009 5 -68.8%
2010 11 +120.0%
2011 19 +72.7%
2012 19 +0.0%
2013 15 -21.1%
2014 11 -26.7%
2015 12 +9.1%
2016 15 +25.0%
2017 7 -53.3%
2018 20 +185.7%
2019 25 +25.0%
2021 16 -36.0%
2022 24 +50.0%
2023 35 +45.8%
2024 31 -11.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 273.83 219 425 6
1980s 114.2 62 187 5
1990s 34.7 17 45 10
2000s 20.7 5 39 10
2010s 15.4 7 25 10
2020s 26.5 16 35 4

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 29 Algeria 35 compare
  2. 29 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 35 compare
  3. 31 Israel 32 compare
  4. 33 Türkiye 29 compare
  5. 34 Cyprus 26 compare
  6. 34 Kenya 26

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More work & labour data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America?
Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America was 31 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest number of strikes and lockouts recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 425 in 1974.
What is the lowest number of strikes and lockouts recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 5 in 2009.
How does United States of America rank for number of strikes and lockouts?
United States of America ranks 32nd out of 99 countries with data for 2024.
Is number of strikes and lockouts rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 181.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Number of strikes and lockouts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of strikes and lockouts in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-strikes-and-lockouts/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of strikes and lockouts
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
99 places, 2,354 data points, 1969–2024
Last refreshed

A strike is a temporary work stoppage carried out by one or more groups of workers with a view to enforcing or resisting demands or expressing grievances, or supporting other workers in their demands or grievances. A lockout is a total or partial temporary closure of one or more places of employment, or the hindering of the normal work activities of employees, by one or more employers with a view to enforcing or resisting demands or expressing grievances, or supporting other employers in their demands or grievances. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Industrial Relations data (IRdata) database description.