October 2024 U.S. Transportation Sector Unemployment (4.7%) Falls Below the October 2023 Level (4.8%) but Rises Above the Pre-Pandemic October 2019 Level (2.7%)

Friday, November 1, 2024

October 2024 Transportation Sector Employment Infographic

The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.7% (not seasonally adjusted) in October 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data have been updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. In October 2024, the transportation sector unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points from 4.8% in October 2023 but was above the pre-pandemic October 2019 level of 2.7%. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020.

Unemployment in the transportation sector was higher than overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in October 2024 was 3.9% or 0.8 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in October 2024 was 4.1%.

Line chart showing Transportation Sector and US Total Unemployment Rate October 2019 through October 2024

Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector fell to 6,619,000 in October 2024 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 1.1% from October 2023. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 15.8% in October 2024 from the pre-pandemic October 2019 level of 5,717,500. By mode (seasonally adjusted):

Air transportation fell to 574,300 in October 2024 — down 0.2% from the previous month but up 2.0% from October 2023.
Truck transportation remained virtually unchanged in October 2024 at 1,546,200 from the previous month but down 0.1% from October 2023.
Transit and ground passenger transportation rose to 450,900 in October 2024 — up 0.4% from the previous month and up 5.1% from October 2023.
Rail transportation rose to 150,500 in October 2024 — up 0.3% from the previous month but down 1.5% from October 2023.
Water transportation rose to 74,800 in October 2024 — up 0.4% from the previous month and up 4.2% from October 2023.
Pipeline transportation fell to 54,200 in October 2024 — down 0.6% from the previous month but up 4.6% from October 2023.
Warehousing and storage fell to 1,764,100 in October 2024 — down 0.4% from the previous month and down 0.6% from October 2023.

Line chart showing Transportation Employment by Mode October2019 through October 2024

NOTES: October 2019 and October 2024 employment (seasonally adjusted) not shown for water (67,400 and 74,800, respectively) or pipeline (51,700 and 54,200, respectively) transportation. All-time highs (seasonally adjusted) with records beginning in 1990: air March 2001 (633,600); pipeline July 1991 (61,200); rail January 1990 (278,100); transit June 2019 (503,900); truck July 2022 (1,587,900); warehousing and storage May 2022 (1,942,200); and water June 2024 (75,800)

In addition to updating the Unemployment in Transportation and the Employment in Transportation: Total, by Mode, and Women dashboards, BTS also updated the Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity of Transportation Workers dashboard.

Charts updated this month by section include:

Unemployment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector and in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector, Establishment Data

Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, Household Data

Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity of Employees in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Month (not seasonally adjusted)

Visit Transportation Economic Trends for more topics.

The unemployment rate is the total number of unemployed persons, expressed as a percentage of the civilian labor force. The civilian labor force includes all persons aged 16 and older who are employed and unemployed; meaning they are either currently working or actively looking for work. Unemployed persons include those who actively sought a job within the last four weeks. People waiting to start a new job who have not actively sought a job in the last four weeks are not counted as employed or unemployed; they are considered to be out of the labor force.

An unemployed person's industry is the industry for the last job they held in the workforce, which may or may not reflect their current job search field or industry.

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