U.S. Class I railway employment free fall continues in November

Railway employment levels in the United States have now fallen in 17 of the last 19 months, according to recent data from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.    Class I freight railroads in the United States employed 151,495 workers as of the middle of November 2016, a 7.76 percent decline from 168,839 employees during the same 2015 period, according to data from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
   U.S. railway employment was down 0.27 percent from 151,900 workers in mid-October 2016, and has now fallen in 17 of the last 19 months.
   Three of the various employment categories reported to the STB posted increases from the previous month, but all six of them declined on a year-over-year basis.
   Class I railway executives, officials and staff assistants in November grew 0.59 percent from the previous month, but fell 4.84 percent year-over-year; professional and administrative staff slipped 0.55 percent month-over-month and 7.46 percent from last year; maintenance of way and structures employees were down 1.27 percent and 6.51 percent, respectively; maintenance of equipment and stores workers ticked up 0.1 percent month-over-month, but dropped 7.79 percent from the previous November; while train and engine workers were down 0.34 percent from last month and 10.25 percent year-over-year; and transportation staff (not including train and engine) grew 0.1 percent from October and decreased 8.7 percent from the same 2015 period.