NEW: Trade union membership statistics for 2019 have been published this morning, and they are good news for anyone wanting to see a growing trade union movement.

90,000 more employees were trade union members at the end of 2019 than a year earlier.

That means that for the first time this century trade union membership rates (what really matters for how powerful unions are) have increased for two years in a row.

Now at 23.4% for employees, and at 21.0% for all in employment.

This increase is driven by big growth in membership rates (38.1% to 39.7%) and levels (up by 113k) in the health sector, but the biggest increase in membership rates is in transport (36.1% to 38.9%).

What really matters for the future of trade unions is whether younger workers are driving this change. The signs are that they are: membership among 26-35 year olds is up for the 2nd year in a row, now back at 2015 levels.

Rather than continuing to fall across the board (as past trends would imply) membership rates for one cohort have bucked the trend...

Those born in the early 1990s are now more likely to be members aged 24 than their predecessors (those born in the late 1980s).

Despite the positive evidence on union membership among younger workers, a big demographic challenge remains.

Older workers who are now retiring are still much more likely to be members, and there's no evidence that millennial membership rates are going to catch-up.

This time last year we projected membership rates at 16% by 2030. But with this year's increase accounted for, our projection has now improved slightly - up to 17%.

But the trend is still downwards. Demography isn't destiny, but it sure matters a lot.