U.S. Transportation sector unemployment rate of 4.7% in January 2023 was same as January 2022

The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.7% (not seasonally adjusted) in January 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data recently updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. The January 2023 rate remained unchanged from 4.7% in January 2022 and was above the pre-pandemic January level of 3.4% in January 2020. 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 above overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in January 2023 was 3.9% or 0.8 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in January 2023 was 3.4%.