WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.9% (not seasonally adjusted) in September 2023, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
In September 2023, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points from 4.3% in September 2022 and was above the pre-pandemic September 2019 level of 3.3%.
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 September 2023 was 3.6% or 1.3 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in September 2023 was 3.8%.
Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector rose to 6,702,400 in September 2023 — up 0.1% from the previous month but down 0.3% from September 2022. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 17.4% in September 2023 from the pre-pandemic September 2019 level of 5,709,200.
By mode, the seasonally adjusted numbers are:
- Air transportation rose to 552,200 in September 2023 — up 0.9% from the previous month and up 7.6% from September 2022.
- Truck transportation rose to 1,584,500 in September 2023 — up 0.6% from the previous month but down 0.9% from September 2022.
- Transit and ground passenger transportation fell to 433,800 in September 2023 — down 1.2% from the previous month but up 4.2% from September 2022.
- Rail transportation rose to 150,400 in September 2023 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 2.2% from September 2022.
- Water transportation fell to 68,700 in September 2023 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 4.2% from September 2022.
- Pipeline transportation rose to 48,500 in September 2023 — up 0.8% from the previous month and up 0.6% from September 2022.
- Warehousing and storage fell to 1,884,100 in September 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month and down 3.3% from September 2022.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
