U.S. Class I workforce contracted in June, STB data shows

U.S. Class Is as of mid-June employed 141,360 people, down 1.1 percent from mid-May's level and down 4 percent from June 2018's count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

Only one of six workforce categories posted a gain versus mid-May's total: professional and administrative staff, which rose 1.5 percent to 11,453. The categories showing declines as of mid-June were maintenance of equipment and stores, down 2 percent to 25,367; transportation (train and engine), down 1.5 percent to 59,363; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.8 percent to 7,756; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.8 percent to 31,864; and transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.2 percent to 5,567.

On a year-over-year basis, all six categories registered the following percentage decreases: executives, officials and staff assistants, 7.5 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, 5.3 percent; professional and administrative staff, 4.5 percent; transportation (T&E), 3.9 percent; maintenance of way and structures, 2.6 percent; and transportation (other than T&E), 0.7 percent.

The STB's U.S. Class I workforce data shows that as of mid-June, BNSF Railway Co. employed 42,950 and Union Pacific Railroad employed 41,052, the top two highest totals. The other employment marks were Norfolk Southern Railway at 24,759, CSX at 19,203, CN/Grand Trunk at 7,345, Kansas City Southern at 3,073 and Canadian Pacific/Soo Line at 2,978.