Major freight railroads in the United States employed 152,718 workers as of the middle of July 2016, up 0.19 percent from the previous month but down 10.71 percent year-over-year, according to data from the Surface Transportation Board.
Class I freight railroads in the United States employed 152,718 workers as of the middle of July 2016, a 10.71 percent decline from 171,043 employees during the same 2015 period, according to data from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
However, Class I railway employment was up 0.19 percent from 152,426 workers in mid-June 2016, breaking a 14-month streak of job losses.
Just one of the various employment categories reported to the STB, transportation (train and engine), posted an increase from the previous month, but all six of them declined on a year-over-year basis.
Train and engine workers ticked up 0.13 percent compared with June, but were still down 16.07 percent from July 2015 levels.
Class I railway executives, officials and staff assistants fell 0.11 percent from previous month and 6.4 percent year-over-year; professional and administrative staff similarly slipped 0.8 percent month-over-month and 6.06 percent from last year; maintenance of way and structures employees were down 0.22 percent and 5.86 percent, respectively; maintenance of equipment and stores workers slid 0.22 percent and 8.56 percent, respectively; while transportation staff (not including train and engine) fell 0.44 percent month-over-month and 8.95 percent year-over-year.
U.S. Class I railway employment ticks up in July
