U.S. airlines employed 706,824 workers in the middle of July 2020, 7,101 more than in mid-June 2020 and 46,461 fewer than in March 2020. The July 2020 numbers consist of 597,982 full-time and 108,842 part-time workers.
Regulations require airlines to report employment numbers to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for employees who worked or received pay for any part of the pay period(s) ending nearest the 15th day of the month.
July 2019: 743,917
June 2020: 699,723 (revised)
July 2020: 706,824
Individual airline numbers are available on the BTS airline employment web page. The web page provides full-time and part-time employment numbers by carrier by month from 1990 through July 2020.
Reports are from all U.S. airlines including scheduled passenger, charter and cargo that meet the reporting standard. Airlines that operate at least one aircraft that has more than 60 seats or the capacity to carry a payload of passengers, cargo and fuel weighing more than 18,000 pounds must report monthly employment statistics.
The next web update for full-time and part-time employment is scheduled for Oct. 8. The BTS press release on full-time equivalent employment for scheduled passenger airlines through July, with historic comparisons and summary tables, will be issued Sept. 15.
