STB: U.S. Class I employment slide continued in October

(Source: Progressive Railroading 11/27/2019)

Class Is as of mid-October employed 134,582 people, down 1.67 percent from mid-September’s level and down 9.51 percent from October 2018’s count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

All but one of six workforce categories posted month-to-month employment decreases: Executives, officials and staff assistants logged a 0.37 percent increase to 7,653 employees between mid-September to mid-October.

The other categories’ month-to-month decreases were: transportation (train and engine), down 3.07 percent to 55,361 employees; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.4 percent to 23,780; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.49 percent to 31,330; professional and administrative, down 0.44 percent to 11,001; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.31 percent to 5,457.

On a year-over-year basis, all categories logged decreases. They were: maintenance of equipment and stores, down 13.12 percent; transportation (train and engine), down 11.82 percent; executives, officials and staff assistant, down 9.91 percent; professional and administrative, down 6.86 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 3.77 percent; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 4.38 percent.

By individual railroad, the STB’s U.S. Class I workforce data shows that as of mid-October: BNSF Railway Co. employed 41,612 employees; Union Pacific Railroad, 37,599; Norfolk Southern Railway 23,251; CSX, 18,881; CN/Grand Trunk, 7,246; Kansas City Southern, 3,031; and Canadian Pacific Soo Line, 2,962.