Class I employment dipped slightly in February

Class Is employed 127,634 workers as of mid-February, down 0.53 percent compared with mid-January’s level and down 12.46 percent compared with the year-ago employment level, U.S. Surface Transportation Board data shows.

Five of six workforce categories posted month-to-month decreases. They were: professional and administrative, down 0.29 percent to 10,817; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.42 percent to 7,576 employees; transportation (train and engine), down 0.50 percent to 51,451; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.56 percent to 5,316; and maintenance of equipment and stores, down 2.11 percent to 22,170.

Maintenance of way and structures was the only category to post a month-to-month increase in employment, which was 0.50 percent to 30,304 employees.

On a year-over-year basis, all categories posted decreases. They were: maintenance of way and structures, down 4.04 percent; transportation (other than T&E), down 4.54 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 6.78 percent; professional and administrative, down 7.52 percent; transportation (T&E), down 16.81 percent; and maintenance of equipment and stores, down 17.83 percent.