A "right-to-work" state is a state that has enacted legislation that guarantees that no individual can be forced as a condition of employment to join or pay dues to a labor union. In other words, employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts that require all benefiting members to contribute to the costs of union representation. This means that an employee does not need to join a union and pay union dues to work for a company.

As of 2023, there are 28 right-to-work states in the United States, mostly in the Midwest, South, and Mountain West. The Taft-Hartley Act, enacted in 1947, outlawed closed shop laws, which allowed states to pass right-to-work laws.

It is important to note that U.S. right-to-work laws do not aim to provide a general guarantee of employment to people seeking work but rather guarantee an employees right to refrain from paying or being a member of a labor union.

In summary, a right-to-work state is a state that has passed state legislation stipulating that no individual can be forced, as a condition of employment, to join or pay dues to a labor union.