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Unemployment rate stayed flat in December for transportation sector

BLS statistics show transportation unemployment was 4.3%, coming in slightly above the national average of 3.8%.

chart of employment levels in transportation sectors
DC Velocity Staff
By DC Velocity StaffJan 10, 2025
DC Velocity Staff
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The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was flat in December 2024 compared to the same month last year, coming in at 4.3% (not seasonally adjusted), according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

That number is low compared to widespread unemployment in the transportation sector which reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic at 15.7% in both May 2020 and July 2020. But it is slightly above the most recent pre-pandemic rate for the sector, which was 2.8% in December 2019, the BTS said.

For broader context, the nation’s overall unemployment rate for all sectors rose slightly in December, increasing 0.3 percentage points from December 2023 to 3.8%.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector rose to 6,630,200 people in December 2024 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 1.7% from December 2023. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 15.1% in December 2024 from the pre-pandemic December 2019 level of 5,760,300 people.

The largest portion of those workers was in warehousing and storage, followed by truck transportation, according to a breakout of the total figures into separate modes (seasonally adjusted):

  • Warehousing and storage rose to 1,770,300 in December 2024 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 0.2% from December 2023.
  • Truck transportation fell to 1,545,900 in December 2024 — down 0.1% from the previous month and down 0.4% from December 2023.
  • Air transportation rose to 578,000 in December 2024 — up 0.4% from the previous month and up 1.4% from December 2023.
  • Transit and ground passenger transportation rose to 456,000 in December 2024 — up 0.3% from the previous month and up 5.7% from December 2023.
  • Rail transportation remained virtually unchanged in December 2024 at 150,300 from the previous month but down 1.8% from December 2023.
  • Water transportation rose to 74,300 in December 2024 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 4.8% from December 2023.
  • Pipeline transportation rose to 55,000 in December 2024 — up 0.5% from the previous month and up 6.2% from December 2023.
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