U.S. supply chain sector jobs up in May

Transportation and warehousing segment added 13,000 new jobs in May, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.    The transportation and warehouse sector added 13,000 new jobs in May, according to the latest figures from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
   BLS on Friday released its monthly “Employment Situation Summary,” also known as the Jobs Report, and the results were primarily positive.
   The report noted that of the 13,000 new jobs in supply chain-related companies, 9,000 of them came from the trucking sector, which is welcome news for the industry. In recent years, low wages and tough working conditions have caused a shortage of drivers in the truckload and less-than-truckload sectors, and motor carriers have struggled to hire and retain drivers.
   Overall, BLS said nonfarm payroll employment, one of the primary measures of employment in the U.S., increased by 280,000 in May, after revised respective gains of 119,000 and 221,000 in March and April. The May increase is 11.6 percent better than the monthly average of 251,000 jobs added for the past 12 months.
   The unemployment rate for the month remained relatively unchanged at 5.5 percent.
   Average hourly wages for nonfarm payroll employees increased 8 cents to $24.96 per hour in May.