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BLS delivers data for National Transportation Week
May 17, 2024
National Transportation Week, observed May 12–18 this year, recognizes those who build and operate our Nation's transportation systems. Nationwide in 2023, employment in transportation and warehousing averaged 6.6 million. Employment in 2023 was up from 3.5 million in 1990, an 89-percent increase over this 33-year period.
Employment in transportation and warehousing, 1990–2023
Year
Transportation and warehousing, total
Scenic and sightseeing transportation
Pipeline transportation
Water transportation
Rail transportation
Transit and ground passenger transportation
1990
3,477,900
15,700
59,800
56,800
270,400
271,900
1991
3,463,900
16,500
60,700
57,400
251,800
282,200
1992
3,461,600
17,700
60,100
56,700
241,800
287,100
1993
3,552,400
19,300
58,700
52,800
233,400
299,700
1994
3,698,500
21,300
57,000
52,300
223,300
317,000
1995
3,834,000
22,000
53,600
50,800
218,800
328,900
1996
3,930,400
23,200
51,400
51,000
209,000
340,700
1997
4,020,500
24,500
49,700
50,700
202,200
351,900
1998
4,160,800
25,400
48,100
50,500
203,800
365,600
1999
4,291,900
26,100
46,900
51,700
205,100
374,500
2000
4,400,700
27,500
46,000
56,000
205,600
376,300
2001
4,361,200
29,100
45,400
54,000
198,100
379,800
2002
4,211,700
25,600
41,700
52,600
186,700
386,400
2003
4,172,700
26,600
40,200
54,500
184,200
388,800
2004
4,235,600
27,200
38,400
56,400
190,900
391,900
2005
4,348,000
28,800
37,800
60,600
192,600
396,400
2006
4,457,000
27,500
38,700
62,700
192,400
406,500
2007
4,528,000
28,600
39,900
65,500
197,600
419,400
2008
4,495,900
28,000
41,700
67,100
195,400
430,400
2009
4,224,800
27,600
42,600
63,400
184,600
428,300
2010
4,179,200
27,300
42,300
62,300
183,000
436,200
2011
4,289,300
27,500
42,900
61,300
192,900
446,900
2012
4,403,700
28,000
43,600
63,900
195,100
447,500
2013
4,486,000
29,100
44,500
65,300
195,600
455,600
2014
4,648,600
30,600
47,000
67,300
199,700
473,700
2015
4,858,600
32,900
49,700
65,800
203,700
485,000
2016
5,003,500
34,500
49,800
65,600
183,600
490,200
2017
5,178,200
35,200
48,800
65,000
181,900
494,900
2018
5,426,400
34,600
49,700
65,100
181,700
494,700
2019
5,664,900
35,500
51,500
66,600
174,300
493,900
2020
5,639,600
21,300
51,100
60,000
150,400
370,300
2021
6,145,100
23,300
50,200
57,500
146,200
377,400
2022
6,605,900
29,800
50,900
64,700
147,400
410,900
2023
6,565,300
30,100
51,800
69,900
152,500
427,800
Employment in transportation and warehousing, 1990–2023, continued
Year
Air transportation
Support activities for transportation
Couriers and messengers
Truck transportation
Warehousing and storage
1990
529,200
367,200
375,000
1,122,600
409,400
1991
525,400
380,200
378,900
1,104,900
405,900
1992
519,600
374,000
388,800
1,107,700
408,300
1993
516,600
386,400
414,300
1,155,000
416,100
1994
511,200
410,100
466,200
1,206,400
433,800
1995
510,900
436,400
516,800
1,249,300
446,600
1996
525,700
452,400
539,900
1,282,600
454,600
1997
542,000
480,600
546,000
1,308,500
464,400
1998
562,700
504,700
568,200
1,354,700
477,200
1999
586,300
526,500
585,900
1,391,800
497,200
2000
614,400
546,400
605,000
1,406,100
517,500
2001
615,300
548,700
587,000
1,387,100
516,900
2002
563,500
534,700
560,900
1,339,600
519,900
2003
528,300
530,600
561,700
1,325,900
531,900
2004
514,500
545,600
556,600
1,352,100
562,000
2005
500,800
562,800
571,400
1,397,900
598,900
2006
487,000
581,200
582,400
1,436,200
642,500
2007
491,800
595,000
580,700
1,439,600
669,800
2008
490,700
602,900
573,400
1,389,400
676,900
2009
462,800
558,900
546,300
1,268,600
641,700
2010
458,300
552,900
528,100
1,250,800
638,100
2011
456,900
572,900
529,200
1,301,000
657,900
2012
459,200
590,700
534,100
1,349,800
691,900
2013
444,300
609,200
543,900
1,382,600
716,000
2014
444,200
636,900
576,500
1,417,700
754,800
2015
458,600
663,100
612,800
1,452,700
834,300
2016
477,500
677,900
644,800
1,448,100
931,600
2017
491,500
700,600
676,100
1,457,000
1,027,300
2018
496,900
729,300
739,500
1,496,200
1,138,800
2019
504,900
753,800
826,900
1,528,800
1,228,700
2020
441,200
701,300
967,300
1,471,300
1,405,400
2021
459,500
725,900
1,089,400
1,515,200
1,700,500
2022
506,200
793,400
1,118,300
1,576,900
1,907,600
2023
552,000
823,300
1,083,000
1,566,500
1,808,400
Within transportation and warehousing, employment was 1.8 million in warehousing and storage, 1.6 million in truck transportation, and 1.1 million in the couriers and messengers industry. Employment was below 70,000 in three industries: scenic and sightseeing transportation, pipeline transportation, and water transportation industries.
From 1990 to 2023, employment in support activities for transportation increased 124 percent, while couriers and messengers employment grew 189 percent. Employment in warehousing and storage more than quadrupled, increasing from about 409,000 in 1990 to over 1.8 million in 2023, an increase of 342 percent.
In contrast, employment decreased in pipeline transportation (−13 percent) and rail transportation (−44 percent) from 1990 to 2023.
United States Department of Labor
