STB: U.S. Class I workforce down in September

Class Is as of mid-September employed 136,865 people in the United States, down 1.74 percent from mid-August's level and down 7.63 percent from September 2018's count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.

All six workforce categories posted decreases last month compared with August.

The categories' month-to-month decreases were: professional and administration, down 2.38 percent to 11,050 employees; transportation (train and engine), down 2.35 percent to 57,115; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 2.07 percent to 24,118; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 1.01 percent to 7,625; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.74 percent to 5,474; and maintenance of way and structures, down 0.46 percent to 31,483.

On a year-over-year basis, the categories reflected the following decreases: maintenance of equipment and stores, down 11.03 percent; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 9.38 percent; transportation (train and engine), down 8.82 percent; professional and administrative, down 6.77 percent; transportation (other than train and engine), down 3.32 percent; and maintenance of way and structures, down 3.11 percent;

By individual railroad, the STB's U.S. Class I workforce data shows that as of mid-September: BNSF Railway Co. employed 42,030 people; Union Pacific Railroad, 38,803; Norfolk Southern Railway, 23,698; CSX, 19,003; CN/Grand Trunk, 7,309; Kansas City Southern, 3,051; and Canadian Pacific Soo Line, 2,971.