STB: Class I employment dropped in January

Class Is employed 148,427 workers in the United States as of mid-January, down 1.19 percent compared with mid-December 2016's employment figure and down 5.22 percent with the year-ago figure, according to the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

All but two employment categories reflected workforce decreases in mid-January compared with mid-December. The two categories posting increases were executives, officials and staff assistants, up 1 percent to 9,076 workers; and professional and administrative, up 0.5 percent to 13,189 workers.

Compared with mid-December 2016, the number of maintenance of way and structures employees fell 0.67 percent to 34,174; maintenance of equipment and stores employees declined 0.93 percent to 28,034; transportation (other than train and engine) slipped 0.19 percent to 5,911; and transportation (train and engine) dropped 2.42 percent to 58,043.

On a year over year basis, all reported categories reflected decreases. Executives, officials and staff assistants were down 4.93 percent; professional and administrative, down 6.27 percent; maintenance of way and structures, down 4.65 percent; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 6.4 percent; transportation (other than T&E), down 9.2 percent; and transportation (T&E), down 4.35 percent.