The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 5.9% (not seasonally adjusted) in August 2025 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 August 2025, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 1.1 percentage points from 4.8% in August 2024. 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 August 2025 was 4.5% or 1.4 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in August 2025 was 4.3%.

Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector rose to 6,747,700 in August 2025 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 1.3% from August 2024. By mode (seasonally adjusted):

• Air transportation fell to 580,100 in August 2025 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 2.5% from August 2024.
• Truck transportation fell to 1,523,000 in August 2025 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 0.4% from August 2024.
• Transit and ground passenger transportation remained virtually unchanged in August 2025 at 484,900 from the previous month but up 3.2% from August 2024.
• Rail transportation remained virtually unchanged in August 2025 at 152,800 from the previous month but down 1.6% from August 2024.
• Water transportation rose to 71,900 in August 2025 — up 0.1% from the previous month and up 2.6% from August 2024.
• Pipeline transportation rose to 61,300 in August 2025 — up 0.8% from the previous month and up 10.1% from August 2024.
• Warehousing and storage remained virtually unchanged in August 2025 at 1,829,800 from the previous month but down 1.4% from August 2024.

NOTES: August 2019 and August 2025 employment (seasonally adjusted) not shown for water (66,500 and 71,900, respectively) or pipeline (51,800 and 61,300, respectively) transportation. All-time highs (seasonally adjusted) with records beginning in 1990: air March 2001 (633,600); pipeline August 2025 (61,300); rail January 1990 (278,100); transit June 2019 (503,900); truck July 2022 (1,587,900); warehousing and storage March 2022 (1,943,100); and water June 2025/August 2025 (71,900)

Charts updated this month by section include:

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

• Total Unemployment in Transportation

Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector, Establishment Data

• Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector
• Monthly Employment in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Mode

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.

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