July 2023 U.S. Transportation Sector Unemployment rises above July 2022 level

The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.9% (not seasonally adjusted) in July 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data have been updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. In July 2023, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 0.7 percentage points from 4.2% in July 2022 and was above the pre-pandemic July 2019 level of 4.2%. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020.

Unemployment in the transportation sector was higher than overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in July 2023 was 3.8% or 1.1 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in July 2023 was 3.5%.

Line chart showing transportation sector and U.S. total unemployment rate for July 2019 through 2023​

Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector fell to 6,721,500 in July 2023 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 0.3% from July 2022. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 18.2% in July 2023 from the pre-pandemic July 2019 level of 5,688,000. By mode (seasonally adjusted):

• Air transportation rose to 543,700 in July 2023 — up 0.5% from the previous month and up 6.7% from July 2022.
• Truck transportation fell to 1,604,300 in July 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month but up 0.5% from July 2022.
• Transit and ground passenger transportation fell to 436,000 in July 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month but up 4.7% from July 2022.
• Rail transportation rose to 150,400 in July 2023 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 2.9% from July 2022.
• Water transportation fell to 66,900 in July 2023 — down 2.5% from the previous month but up 1.2% from July 2022.
• Pipeline transportation fell to 47,100 in July 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month and down 6.2% from July 2022.
• Warehousing and storage fell to 1,899,500 in July 2023 — down 0.3% from the previous month and down 2.9% from July 2022.

NOTES: July 2019 and July 2023 employment (seasonally adjusted) not shown for water (66,000 and 66,900, respectively) or pipeline (51,800 and 47,100, respectively) transportation. All-time highs (seasonally adjusted) with records beginning in 1990: air March 2001 (633,600); pipeline July 1991 (61,200); rail January 1990 (278,100); transit June 2019 (503,800); truck January 2023 (1,611,400); warehousing and storage June 2022 (1,960,300); and water July 2008 (69,400).

Source: USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics.