STB: Class I employment continued slide in mid-May

Class Is employed 156,602 people in the United States as of mid-May, down 11.69 percent year over year and 0.27 percent compared with mid-April, according to the Surface Transportation Board.

Two of the six employment categories reflected workforce increases in mid-May compared with mid-April: The number of maintenance of way (MOW) and structures employees rose 0.5 percent and the number of maintenance of equipment and stores employees increased 0.12 percent.

Categories posting decreases compared with mid-April were executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.62 percent; professional and administrative, down 0.91 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.72 percent and transportation (train and engine), down 0.69 percent.

Year over year, all reported categories reflected decreases: executives, officials and staff assistants, down 6.03 percent; professional and administrative, down 3.61 percent; MOW and structures, down 5.69 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 7.54 percent; transportation (other than T&E), down 7.34 percent and transportation (T&E), down 19.47 percent.