The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.8% (not seasonally adjusted) in October 2023 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data have been updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. In October 2023, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 1.1 percentage points from 3.7% in October 2022 and was above the pre-pandemic October 2019 level of 2.7% but still below the October 2020 and October 2021 rates. 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 October 2023 was 3.6% or 1.2 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in October 2023 was 3.9%.
Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector fell to 6,686,200 in October 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month and down 0.8% from October 2022. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 16.9% in October 2023 from the pre-pandemic October 2019 level of 5,717,900. By mode (seasonally adjusted):
Air transportation rose to 555,100 in October 2023 — up 0.6% from the previous month and up 7.4% from October 2022.
Truck transportation fell to 1,578,600 in October 2023 — down 0.3% from the previous month and down 1.7% from October 2022.
Transit and ground passenger transportation fell to 434,200 in October 2023 — down 0.2% from the previous month but up 4.1% from October 2022.
Rail transportation remained virtually unchanged in October 2023 at 150,200 from the previous month but up 1.8% from October 2022.
Water transportation rose to 70,300 in October 2023 — up 1.7% from the previous month and up 6.2% from October 2022.
Pipeline transportation fell to 48,000 in October 2023 — down 1.0% from the previous month and down 0.2% from October 2022.
Warehousing and storage fell to 1,871,000 in October 2023 — down 0.6% from the previous month and down 4.0% from October 2022.
