Class I workforce continued to shrink in May

(Source: Progressive Railroading 06/23/2020)

Class Is employed 118,880 employees as of mid-May, down 4.46 percent percent from April and down 16.84 percent from May 2019 levels, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

All six employment categories logged month-to-month decreases. They were: transportation (train and engine), down 10.27 percent to 43,660 employees; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.93 percent to 21,289; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.59 percent to 5,206; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.57 percent to 7,626; professional and administrative, down 0.41 percent to 10,594; and maintenance of way and structures, down 0.04 percent to 30,505.

Year over year, all categories posted the following decreases: transportation (train and engine), down 27.54 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 17.83 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 6.54 percent; professional and administrative, down 6.08 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 5.02 percent; and executives, officials and staff assistants, down 2.47 percent.