advertisement

---

The U.S. Class Is continue to hire more people to keep up with all-time-high traffic demand. As of mid-April, the Class Is employed 165,850 people, a 0.25 percent increase compared with March and 2.6 percent rise compared with April 2005, according to Surface Transportation Board data. The large roads employed a total of 165,433, 164,797 and 163,406 in March, February and January, respectively.

In mid-April, maintenance-of-way and structures employees numbered 34,814, up 2.2 percent compared with March and 3.1 percent compared with April 2005. The number of maintenance of equipment and stores workers reached 30,105 a 0.3 percent rise compared with March and 0.7 percent increase compared with April 2005.

Transportation (other than train and engine service) employees numbering 7,386 increased 0.5 percent compared with March and 0.4 percent compared with April 2005. Although hiring slowed for train and engine-service workers, which totaled 70,036 or 0.7 percent fewer than in March, their ranks were up 3.3 percent compared with April 2005.

Executives, officials and staff assistants numbered 9,678, up 0.2 percent compared with March and 4.2 percent compared with April 2005, while professional and administrative staff numbering 13,831 increased 0.1 percent and 2 percent compared with the same periods.