The share of workers who are members of unions fell to a record low last year even though unions added more members than in any year since 2008 following union elections at workplaces including Starbucks, Amazon and Apple. About 10.1% of wage and salary workers were union members last year, down from 10.3% in 2021. The membership rate has been falling for decades as the economy has become more reliant on service industries, where workers haven’t traditionally been unionized.
2022 was the year of liquefied natural gas. Russia’s decision to curtail pipeline gas supplies to Europe sent prices through the roof. But the panic-induced price spike of 2022 probably won’t recur this year. LNG prices have slid after a much milder than expected winter in Europe. Asian LNG spot prices have fallen nearly 67% from the record highs reached in August last year.
Futures are mixed after stocks ended lower yesterday. The Dow Industrials fell 252, the NASDAQ lost 104 and the S&P 500 was down 30.
