Mid-October Airline Employment Down 29,000 from Mid-September
U.S. airlines employed 673,278 workers in the middle of October 2020, 28,790 fewer than in mid-September 2020 and 81,749 fewer than in March 2020. The October numbers consist of 562,570 full-time and 110,708 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. Numbers include all paid employees but do not include employees not being paid.
Airlines receiving funds under CARES Act, implemented in April, were required to refrain from imposing involuntary furloughs on US-based employees or reducing employee pay or benefits through Sept. 30.
Total employment (full-time + part-time) by U.S. airlines (passenger + cargo carriers):
Major Airlines' Total Employees, March 2020 and October 2020
Includes Full-time and Part-time Employees
Mar-20 | Oct-20 | Change in Employees | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 17,912 | 16,647 | -1,265 | -7.1 |
Allegiant | 4,487 | 4,152 | -335 | -7.5 |
American | 109,108 | 90,846 | -18,262 | -16.7 |
Atlas | 3,121 | 3,434 | 313 | 10.0 |
Delta | 89,980 | 61,229 | -28,751 | -32.0 |
Envoy | 16,781 | 14,928 | -1,853 | -11.0 |
Federal Express | 7,492 | 260,306 | 15,296 | 6.2 |
Frontier | 5,181 | 5,019 | -162 | -3.1 |
Hawaiian | 7,492 | 6,520 | -972 | -13.0 |
JetBlue | 21,546 | 19,248 | -2,298 | -10.7 |
Kalitta | 2,013 | 2,143 | 130 | 6.5 |
Polar Air Cargo | 226 | 230 | 4 | 1.8 |
Republic | 6,519 | 5,817 | -702 | -10.8 |
SkyWest | 20,544 | 19,325 | -1,219 | -5.9 |
Southwest | 62,081 | 58,134 | -3,947 | -6.4 |
Spirit | 9,213 | 8,929 | -284 | -3.1 |
United | 91,563 | 62,320 | -29,243 | -31.9 |
| United Parcel Service | 6,279 | 6,426 | 147 | 2.3 |
| Major Airline Total | 719,056 | 645,653 | -73,403 | -10.2 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Airline Employment Data (P1a)
Major Carrier: Over $1 billion annual operating revenue
Additional 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 October 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 Jan. 7. The BTS press release on full-time equivalent employment for scheduled passenger airlines through October, with historic comparisons and summary tables will be issued Dec. 11.
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