U.S. Class I workforce continued to enlarge in May

The U.S. Class I workforce grew a bit larger last month. As of mid-May, the Class Is employed 164,249 people, a 0.3 percent increase compared with April's level and a 1.1 percent gain compared with May 2013's count, according to Surface Transportation Board data released on Friday.

Only the transportation (other than train and engine) workforce segment, which totaled 6,767 in mid-May, posted declines on both a month-over-month (0.3 percent) and year-over-year (1.3 percent) basis.

The month-over-month gainers were the maintenance-of-way and structures force, up 0.7 percent to 37,533; professional and administrative staff, up 0.4 percent to 14,156; maintenance of equipment and stores segment, up 0.3 percent to 30,127; transportation (train and engine) sector, up 0.2 percent to 65,919; and executives/officials/staff assistants category, up less than a tenth of a percent to 9,747.

On a year-over-year basis, the professional and administrative staff grew 2.5 percent; number of executives/officials/staff assistants increased 1.7 percent; transportation (T&E) ranks swelled 1.3 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores force enlarged 0.7 percent; and number of maintenance-of-way and structures employees rose 0.6 percent.