The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 5.1% (not seasonally adjusted) in September 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data have been updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. In September 2024, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points from 4.9% in September 2023 and was above the pre-pandemic September 2019 level of 3.3%. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020.

Unemployment in the transportation sector was higher than overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in September 2024 was 3.9% or 1.2 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in September 2024 was 4.1%.


Line chart showing Transportation Sector and US Total Unemployment Rate September 2019_September 2024


Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector fell to 6,603,900 in September 2024 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 0.7% from September 2023. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 15.7% in September 2024 from the pre-pandemic September 2019 level of 5,710,200. By mode (seasonally adjusted):

  • Air transportation fell to 575,600 in September 2024 — down 0.3% from the previous month but up 2.8% from September 2023.
  • Truck transportation remained virtually unchanged in September 2024 at 1,543,600 from the previous month but down 0.5% from September 2023.
  • Transit and ground passenger transportation rose to 442,900 in September 2024 — up 0.8% from the previous month and up 3.2% from September 2023.
  • Rail transportation fell to 150,100 in September 2024 — down 0.1% from the previous month and down 1.8% from September 2023.
  • Water transportation rose to 75,400 in September 2024 — up 0.9% from the previous month and up 6.3% from September 2023.
  • Pipeline transportation rose to 54,600 in September 2024 — up 0.7% from the previous month and up 4.0% from September 2023.
  • Warehousing and storage fell to 1,770,600 in September 2024 — down 0.6% from the previous month and down 1.2% from September 2023.



Line chart showing Transportation Employment by Mode September 2019_September 2024

NOTES: September 2019 and September 2024 employment (seasonally adjusted) not shown for water (66,700 and 75,400, respectively) or pipeline (51,800 and 54,600, respectively) transportation. All-time highs (seasonally adjusted) with records beginning in 1990: air March 2001 (633,600); pipeline July 1991 (61,200); rail January 1990 (278,100); transit June 2019 (503,900); truck July 2022 (1,587,900); warehousing and storage May 2022 (1,942,200); and water June 2024 (75,800)


In addition to updating the Unemployment in Transportation and the Employment in Transportation: Total, by Mode, and Women dashboards, BTS also updated the Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity of Transportation Workers dashboard.
Charts updated this month by section include:

Unemployment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector and in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector, Establishment Data

Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, Household Data

Visit Transportation Economic Trends for more topics.

The unemployment rate is the total number of unemployed persons, expressed as a percentage of the civilian labor force. The civilian labor force includes all persons aged 16 and older who are employed and unemployed; meaning they are either currently working or actively looking for work. Unemployed persons include those who actively sought a job within the last four weeks. People waiting to start a new job who have not actively sought a job in the last four weeks are not counted as employed or unemployed; they are considered to be out of the labor force.

An unemployed person’s industry is the industry for the last job they held in the workforce, which may or may not reflect their current job search field or industry.