Class I Rail Employment Ticked up in February

Employment at Class 1 railroads in the United States in February rose 0.81 percent the U.S. Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

The railroads employed 120,210 people. The percentage increase was compared with January employment levels. The February 2023 employment levels were 5.19 percent higher than those of February 2022.

The STB said five of six employment categories posted gains when comparing February to January employment.

They were: executives, officials and staff assistants, up 1.45 percent to 8,114 employees; transportation (train and engine), up 1.08 percent to 50,858; maintenance of way and structures, up 0.88 percent to 28,454; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.32 percent to 17,851; and professional and administrative, up 0.05 percent to 10,086.

The transportation (other than train and engine) category fell 0.14 percent to 4,847 employees last month compared with January’s level.

On a year-over-year comparison, all categories saw gains. This included transportation (train and engine), up 7.99 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 6.65 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 3.87 percent; professional and administrative, up 2.58 percent; maintenance of way and structures, up 2.31 percent; and transportation (other than train and engine), up 2.19 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in January

Class I railroad employment rose 6.2 percent in mid-January compared with the same month in January 2022.

Figures released by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board showed the railroads employed employed 119,245 people in mid-January 2023 However, that was a drop of 0.09 percent decrease compared with December 2022.

Four of six employment categories saw gains between December 2022 and January 2023. Those were transportation (other than train and engine), up 0.68 percent to 4,854 workers; professional and administrative, up 0.53 percent to 10,081; transportation (train and engine), up 0.27 percent to 50,313; and executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.01 percent to 7,998.

Losing ground were maintenance of way and structures, down 1.09 percent to 28,205 employees, and maintenance of equipment and stores, down 0.09 percent to 17,794.

In comparing January 2023 with January 2022, all employment categories posted increases.

This included transportation (train and engine), up 9.93 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 6.75 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 4.98 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), up 4.03 percent; maintenance of way and structures, up 2.68 percent; and professional and administrative, up 2.22 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in December

Class 1 railroad employment rose in December, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

In mid-December the carriers employed 119,349 people, a 0.34 percent increase compared to November 2022 and a 3.88 percent increase compared with December 2021.

STB figures showed five of six employment categories posting gains between November and December 2022.

This included transportation (other than train and engine), up 0.88 percent to 4,821 workers; transportation (train and engine), up 0.49 percent to 50,178; maintenance of way and structures, up 0.3 percent to 28,515; professional and administrative, up 0.3 percent to 10,028; and maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.2 percent to 17,810.

The only loss was in the category of executives, officials and staff assistants, which declined 0.41 percent to 7,997 people.

On a year-over-year comparison, executives, officials and staff assistants rose 6.78 percent.

Other categories included transportation (train and engine), up 5.39 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 3 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), up 2.71 percent; maintenance of way and structures, up 2.64 percent; and professional and administrative, up 0.07 percent.

Class I Employment Rose in November

U.S. Class 1 railroad employment edged up in mid-November by 0.62 percent the Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

The railroads employed 118,944, an increase of 4.38 percent when compared to last year during the same period.

Five of six employment categories posted employment gains between October and November. They were: transportation (other than train and engine), up 1.34 percent to 4,779 employees; professional and administrative, up 1.11 percent to 9,998; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.96 percent to 8,030; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.77 percent to 17,774; and transportation (train and engine), up 0.74 percent to 49,934.

Losing ground was maintenance of way and structures, which fell 0.05 percent to 28,429 employees.

On a year-over-year comparison, all categories saw gains. This included executives, officials and staff assistants, up 10.29 percent; transportation (T&E), up 6.29 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 3.15 percent; transportation (other than T&E), up 2.8 percent; professional and administrative, up 2.47 percent; and maintenance of way and structures, up 1.31 percent

Class 1 Rail Employment Up in October

U.S. Class 1 railroads employed 118,208 people as of mid-October, a 0.53 percent increase from mid-September employment levels and a 3.53 percent increase year over year, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

Five of six employment categories registered employment increases between September and October.

They included transportation (train and engine), up 0.81 percent to 49,569 employees; professional and administrative, up 0.8 percent to 9,888;  maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.47 percent to 17,639; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.44 percent to 7,954; and maintenance of way and structures, up 0.13 percent to 28,442.

Posting a decline was transportation (other than train and engine), which declined 0.04 percent to 4,716 employees.

On a year-over-year comparison, all categories posted increases. This included executives, officials and staff assistants, up 9.97 percent; transportation (train and engine), up 5.47 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 2.11 percent; professional and administrative, up 1.45 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), up 0.9 percent; and maintenance of way and structures, up 0.67 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in August

Employment in August at Class 1 railroads rose by 2.26 percent over the same level of August 2021.

Figures released by the U.S. Surface Transportation board showed the railroads employed 117,014 workers, which was a 0.52 percent increase from July’s employment level.

All but one out of six employment categories registered month-to-month increases.

They were transportation (train and engine), up 1.05 percent to 48,760 workers; transportation (other than train and engine), up 0.96 percent to 4,716; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.79 percent to 7,900; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 0.5 percent to 17,410; and maintenance of way and structures, up 0.07 percent to 28,437.

Seeing a decline was professional and administrative, which fell 1.15 percent to 9,791 employees.

On a year-over-year comparison, five of the six categories saw increases including executives, officials and staff assistants, up 8.65 percent; transportation (train and engine), up 3.5 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), up 1.22 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, up 1.19 percent; and maintenance of way and structures, up 0.36 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in July

Class 1 railroad employment rose slightly in July the U.S. Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

The STB report said the 116,407 Class 1 employees in the United States as of mid-July was 0.13 percent higher than the number employed the previous month.

The July 2022 workforce was 0.64 percent higher than it was in July 2021 levels.

Three out of six employment categories posted month-to-month increases including executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.97 percent to 7,838 employees; professional and administrative, up 0.47 percent to 9,905; and transportation (train and engine), up 0.36 percent to 48,252.

Seeing declines were maintenance of equipment and stores, down 0.33 percent to 17,324 employees; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.26 percent to 28,417; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.09 percent to 4,671.

On a year over year comparison executives, officials and staff assistants were up 7.06 percent while train and engine was up 1.59 percent.

Seeing decreases were professional and administrative, down 1.8 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 1.27 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.11 percent; and maintenance of way and structures, down 0.34 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in June

U.S. Class 1 railroads employed 116,251 in June, people, a 0.41 percent increase compared with May and a 0.28 percent over June 2021.

Figures released by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board showed four out of six employment categories posted gains this past June.

They included professional and administrative, up 3.31 percent to 9,859 employees; executives, officials and staff assistants, up 0.99 percent to 7,763; maintenance of way and structures, up 0.45 percent to 28,492; and transportation (train and engine), up 0.01 percent to 48,080.

Losing ground were transportation (other than train and engine), which fell 0.38 percent to 4,675 workers; and maintenance of equipment and stores, which dropped 0.14 percent to 17,382.

On a year over year comparison, executives, officials, and staff assistants, gained 5.73 percent; and transportation (train and engine), gained 1.34 percent.

Losses were posted by professional and administrative, down 2.29 percent; transportation (other train and engine), 1.6 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, 1.57 percent;  and maintenance of way and structures, 0.53 percent.

Class 1 Employment Up in February

U.S. Class 1 railroads had slightly more workers in mid-February the U.S. Surface Transportation Board reported this week.

The railroads employed 113,822, a 1.85 percent gain compared with mid-January. However, it was a 0.22 percent decrease compared with February 2021.

The only employment categories seeing increases were the professional and administrative category, which rose 0.34 percent to 9,639 in February.

The other categories registered the following increases: Transportation (train and engine), 2.9 percent to 47,096 people; transportation (other than train and engine), 1.68 percent to 4,733; executives, officials and staff assistants, 1.53 percent to 7,379; maintenance of equipment and stores, 1.4 percent to 17,177; and maintenance of way and structures, 1.26 percent to 27,798.

On a year-over-year comparison, gains were posted by transportation (train and engine), 2.84 percent; and executives, officials and staff assistants, 1.56 percent.

Seeing losses on a year-over-year comparison were professional and administrative, 5.45 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, 5.18 percent; maintenance of way and structures, 0.54 percent; and transportation (other than train and engine), 0.36 percent.

Class 1 Employment Dipped 2.4 in January

U.S. Class I Railroad employment was down 2.4 percent in mid January compared with December 2021.

The railroads employed 111,754 people in January, which also was down 1.5 percent compared with January 2021, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board said.

All employment categories posted declines in January compared with December.

Transportation (train and engine) employment fell 3.87 percent to 45,767 workers; maintenance of equipment and stores was down 2.31 percent to 16,940; professional and administrative was down 1.4 percent to 9,672; maintenance of way and structures declined 1.15 percent to 27,452; transportation (other than train and engine) dipped 0.62 percent to 4,655; and executives, officials and staff assistants was down 0.21 percent to 7,268.

Five of the six categories saw year-over-year losses. They were maintenance of equipment and stores, down 6.33 percent; professional and administrative, down 5.35 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 1.48 percent;  maintenance of way and structures, down 0.6 percent; and executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.34 percent.

Only transportation (train and engine) had a year-over-year increase, which was 0.54 percent.