July airline industry employment ticks up nearly 1% from June, remains 3.7% below pre-pandemic july 2019

U.S. airlines employed 715,312 workers in July 2021, which is 0.8% (5,634) more workers than in June 2021, but 3.7% (27,728) fewer than in pre-pandemic July 2019.

The July industry numbers consist of 607,805 full-time and 107,507 part-time workers, an increase from June of 8,755 full-time and a decrease of 3,121 part-time workers.

As of July, the largest passenger airlines are operating with 67,661 fewer employees than at the March 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. United Airlines has dropped 21,278 workers, Delta Air Lines 16,476, and American Airlines 9,955. Major cargo airlines are operating with 23,049 more employees, with Federal Express having added 21,961.

Major Airlines' Total Employees, March 2020 (COVID-19 onset) vs July 2021

Includes Full-time and Part-time Employees

 

20-Mar

21-Jul

Change in Employees

Percent Change

Alaska

17,912

16,751

-1,161

-6.48%

Allegiant

4,487

4,417

-70

-1.56%

American

109,108

99,153

-9,955

-9.12%

Atlas

3,121

3,547

426

13.65%

Delta

89,980

73,504

-16,476

-18.31%

Envoy

16,781

15,111

-1,670

-9.95%

Federal Express

245,010

266,971

21,961

8.96%

Frontier

5,181

5,260

79

1.52%

Hawaiian

7,492

6,078

-1,414

-18.87%

JetBlue

21,546

19,209

-2,337

-10.85%

Kalitta

2,013

2,320

307

15.25%

Polar Air Cargo

226

249

23

10.18%

Republic

6,519

5,867

-652

-10.00%

SkyWest

20,544

14,983

-5,561

-27.07%

Southwest

62,081

54,812

-7,269

-11.71%

Spirit

9,213

9,316

103

1.12%

United

91,563

70,285

-21,278

-23.24%

United Parcel Service

6,279

6,611

332

5.29%

Major Airline Total

719,056

674,444

-44,612

-6.20%