STB: Class I employment fell in September

Class Is employed 146,673 workers in the United States as of mid-September, down 0.44 percent since mid-August's employment figure and down 3.81 percent compared with mid-September 2016's level, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

All six employment categories reflected workforce decreases last month compared with August levels: Professional and administrative positions were down 1.82 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 1.56 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.44 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 0.43 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 0.41 percent; and transportation (T&E), down 0.01 percent.

Also on a year-over-year basis, five categories reflected workforce decreases: Professional and administrative positions were down 7.13 percent to 12,393 employees; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 7.09 percent to 8,497; maintenance of way and structures, down 6.68 percent to 33,483; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 5.46 percent to 26,740; and transportation (other than T&E), down 5.41 percent to 5,678.

However, the number of transportation (T&E) employees inched up 0.09 percent to 59,882.