U.S. transportation sector unemployment rate up to 4.7% in January

Remains above pre-pandemic level of 3.4% in January 2020

The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.7% (not seasonally adjusted) in January 2022 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data recently updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. The January 2022 rate fell 4.3 percentage points from 9.0% in January 2021, but remains above the pre-pandemic rate of 3.4% in January 2020. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May and July 2020.

The unemployment rate in the transportation sector is slightly above the overall unemployment rate. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in January 2022 was 4.4% or 0.3 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in January 2022 was 4.0%.