The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported recently that the unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.7% (not seasonally adjusted) in August 2026.
In August 2026, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that the transportation sector unemployment rate fell 1.2 percentage points to 5.9% from August 2025. 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 August 2026 was 4.3% or 0.4 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in August 2026 was 4.1%.
BLS said truck transportation rose to 1,470,300 in August 2026 — up 0.3% from the previous month but down 0.7% from August 2025.
The Associated Press reported last week that more Americans filed for unemployment benefits, but layoffs are still rare and jobless claims remain at historically low levels.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that filings for benefits ticked up to 206,000 at the end of August from a revised 204,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose modestly to 207,250 last week.
Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have mostly stayed within a historically low range of 200,000 to 230,000 a week.
The number of people collecting unemployment benefits rose slightly to 1.78 million the week that ended Aug. 22, up by 8,000 from the week before.
Companies, remembering the worker shortages that followed the end of COVID-19 lockups, are still reluctant to let go of staff.
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.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
