U.S. transportation employment falls for third straight month

Transportation and logistics companies cut another 2,500 jobs in March, following revised decreases of 6,500 in February and 20,900 in January, according to recent preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor.    United States transportation and logistics companies cut employment for the third straight month in March, according to the latest preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
   The U.S. transportation sector shed another 2,500 jobs during the month of March, following revised decreases of 6,500 and 20,900 in February and January, respectively.
   Job cuts during March were led by the rail industry, which lost 2,800 jobs after a similar 2,900-position loss in February, as railroads continue to adjust to falling volumes in coal, crude oil and other energy-related commodities.
   Trucking companies slashed 2,400 jobs last month after losing 600 jobs in February.
   Courier and messenger positions, on the other hand, grew by 1,000 after falling 4,000 the previous month, underscoring the seasonal nature of employment at express delivery companies like FedEx and UPS.
   Overall, the U.S. added 215,000 jobs during March, another positive sign for the economy following an updated “third” preliminary estimate from the Department of Commerce showing gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015. This is an improvement from the initial estimate of 0.7 percent GDP growth and the “second” estimate of 1 percent, but still considerably slower than the 2.2 percent rate seen in the third quarter.