U.S. Class I railway employment continues to fall in June

Major freight railroads in the United States employed 152,426 workers as of the middle of June 2016, down 0.2 percent from the previous month and 11.55 percent year-over-year, according to data from the Surface Transportation Board.    Class I freight railroads in the United States employed 152,426 workers as of the middle of June 2016, an 11.55 percent decline from 172,327 employees during the same 2015 period, according to data from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
   Class I railway employment was also down 0.2 percent from 152,726 workers in mid-May 2016, and has now fallen in each of the previous 14 consecutive monthly periods.
   Three of the various employment categories reported to the STB posted increases from the previous month – executives, officials and staff assistants; professional and administrative employees; and train and engine workers – but all six of them declined on a year-over-year basis.
   Executives, officials and staff assistants grew 0.14 percent from mid-May, but were still down 6.42 percent compared to June 2015; professional and administrative staff similarly rose 0.93 percent month-over-month, but fell 5.78 percent from last year; maintenance of way and structures employees were down 0.25 percent from the previous month and 6.05 percent year-over-year; maintenance of equipment and stores workers were down 1.28 percent and 8.22 percent, respectively; transportation staff (not including train and engine) fell 0.71 percent month-over-month and 8.71 percent year-over-year; while train and engine workers ticked up 0.11 percent month-over-month but were still down 18.71 percent year-over-year.