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After increasing slightly for four straight months, the U.S. Class I workforce decreased in June.

As of mid-June, the Class Is employed 163,416, down 1.1 percent compared with mid-May's total, according to Surface Transportation Board data. The worker count also represented a 2 percent decline vs. June 2007's level.

The largest month-over-month drop? Transportation (train and engine) ranks, which declined 2.3 percent from mid-May's level to 67,154. The workforce segment also fell 3.1 percent compared with June 2007's total.

Maintenance of equipment and stores workers totaled 30,243, down 0.7 percent from mid-May's count and 1.1 percent from June 2007's level. The transportation (other than T&E) staff totaling 6,627 dropped 0.4 percent month over month and plummeted 6.2 percent year over year.

Meanwhile, the maintenance-of-way and structures workforce totaling 35,638 decreased slightly (by 0.1 percent) compared with mid-May's count and by a slim margin (0.05 percent) compared with June 2007's total.

Executives, officials and staff assistants totaled 10,049, down 0.2 percent from mid-May's level and 1 percent from June 2007's count. Professional and administrative staff totaling 13,705 edged up 0.02 percent from the previous month's total, but decreased 2 percent year over year.