The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.5% (not seasonally adjusted) in May 2022 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data recently updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation dashboard. The May 2022 rate fell 3.4 percentage points from 7.9% in May 2021 but is just above the pre-pandemic May level of 4.3% in May 2019. 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 above overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in May 2022 was 3.4% or 1.1 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in May 2022 was 3.6%.
 

In addition to the update of the Unemployment in Transportation dashboard, BTS also released its monthly update to its Employment in Transportation: Total, by Mode, and Women, and Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity of Transportation Workers dashboards.

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
• Unemployed Men and Women Workers 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
• Women Workers in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector

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

• Race and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity of Employees in the Transportation and Warehousing Sector by Month (not seasonally adjusted)

Visit Transportation Economic Trends for more topics.

Media contact: BTSNews@dot.gov or 1-800-853-1351.