The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has placed the United States on its "Watchlist" of countries with a measurable increase in Workers' Rights violations, marking the first time the country has appeared on the list since the index began in 2014, the Global Union Body announced in its 2026 Global Rights Index.

The 13th edition of the index rates the United States at 4 - "systematic violations of rights" - on the ITUC's six-point scale, its lowest score since the report was first issued.

The Watchlist, a category introduced to flag countries where violations are rising sharply, also includes Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Liberia, the Republic of Moldova, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.

The Global Rights Index, described by the ITUC as the world's only comprehensive database of Workers' Rights, assesses 151 countries against 97 indicators drawn from International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and case law.

According to the report and subsequent statements from the ITUC and its U.S. affiliate, the National AFL-CIO, the U.S. Watchlist placement reflects several developments over the past year, including more than one million Federal Workers have lost Collective-Bargaining Rights following a series of Presidential Executive Orders issued since March 2025, according to the National AFL-CIO and Labor outlets that have reviewed the index.

Litigation challenging those orders is ongoing.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been significantly weakened in its capacity to enforce Workers' Rights protections, the National AFL-CIO said.

Immigration enforcement has been used in ways that affect Immigrant Workers and Union Members, including actions cited by Labor outlets covering the report as amounting to pressure on visa holders who engage in Workplace Organizing.

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