NCBA - National Cooperative Business Association
02/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/02/2026 18:30
Democracy at Work Institute and U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives release latest state of the sector report
The Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives released their 2025 State of the Sector of Worker Cooperatives and Democratic Workplaces this week.
Covering two years of sector developments, the 2025 State of the Sector reports on collectively-owned and democratically-managed workplaces in the U.S. and its territories.
A co-production of the Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the report draws upon data collected through the Enterprise Census of Worker Cooperatives and Democratic Workplaces, based on data from Fiscal Year 2024. To better capture and illustrate the experience of workers, the report also includes qualitative data. A total of 242 firms participated in the survey.
The census is the only national, comprehensive opportunity to capture trends across worker cooperatives an democratic workplaces. The State of the Sector Report is one of the best tools we have to show the growth and strength of the worker co-op movement.
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With over 10 years of longitudinal data, the report shows continued growth in the field. The increase in firms has slowed considerably compared to previous post-pandemic years. Although the report covers experiences in 2024, the impact on businesses in 2025 is already becoming clear-many businesses express concern about the future of their businesses due to the funding losses in the support ecosystem, natural disasters and other effects on the wider national economy.
The sector's most pressing needs include quality and affordable healthcare, business marketing and business planning support. Interestingly, the biggest spike in industry growth is business consulting, seeing independent contractors coming together to form their own democratically-run businesses to provide experienced support to the sector. The number of workers employed by these firms is growing quickly due to the development of drivers cooperatives. Women and people of color continue to make up the majority of the workforce.
The census is the only national, comprehensive opportunity to capture trends across worker cooperatives an democratic workplaces.
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