U.S. Class I railway employment slips in September

Major freight railroads in the United States employed 152,486 workers as of the middle of September 2016, down 0.17 percent from the previous month and 8.7 percent year-over-year, according to data from the Surface Transportation Board.    Class I freight railroads in the United States employed 152,486 workers as of the middle of September 2016, an 8.7 percent decline from 167,023 employees during the same 2015 period, according to data from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
   U.S. railway employment was down 0.17 percent from 152,753 workers in mid-August 2016.
   Just one of the various employment categories reported to the STB, transportation (train and engine), posted an increase from the previous month, but all six of them declined on a year-over-year basis.
   Train and engine workers ticked up 0.34 percent compared with August, but were still down 11.18 percent from September 2015 levels.
   Class I railway executives, officials and staff assistants fell 0.09 percent from the previous month and 6.07 percent year-over-year; professional and administrative staff slipped 2.3 percent month-over-month and 6.85 percent from last year; maintenance of way and structures employees were down 0.3 percent and 5.77 percent, respectively; maintenance of equipment and stores workers slid 0.03 percent and 8.31 percent, respectively; while transportation staff (not including train and engine) fell 0.53 percent from last month and 11.18 percent year-over-year.