Chart 1. Employment in rail transportation, January 1980–December 2020, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month	Rail employment
Jan 1980	539.7
Feb 1980	539.2
Mar 1980	536.1
Apr 1980	531.4
May 1980	525.8
Jun 1980	512.7
Jul 1980	510.6
Aug 1980	506.6
Sep 1980	505.3
Oct 1980	505.7
Nov 1980	504.0
Dec 1980	504.5
Jan 1981	504.4
Feb 1981	503.7
Mar 1981	500.4
Apr 1981	495.8
May 1981	481.1
Jun 1981	475.1
Jul 1981	481.1
Aug 1981	477.3
Sep 1981	472.7
Oct 1981	470.3
Nov 1981	465.0
Dec 1981	459.9
Jan 1982	454.0
Feb 1982	443.6
Mar 1982	435.9
Apr 1982	431.6
May 1982	428.6
Jun 1982	424.4
Jul 1982	416.2
Aug 1982	407.4
Sep 1982	402.6
Oct 1982	396.8
Nov 1982	392.1
Dec 1982	387.8
Jan 1983	370.9
Feb 1983	365.3
Mar 1983	370.0
Apr 1983	369.2
May 1983	369.2
Jun 1983	367.6
Jul 1983	369.8
Aug 1983	366.3
Sep 1983	366.2
Oct 1983	367.5
Nov 1983	357.5
Dec 1983	353.6
Jan 1984	362.7
Feb 1984	365.4
Mar 1984	365.0
Apr 1984	364.2
May 1984	366.7
Jun 1984	366.5
Jul 1984	364.3
Aug 1984	367.8
Sep 1984	368.3
Oct 1984	367.1
Nov 1984	366.7
Dec 1984	366.3
Jan 1985	364.2
Feb 1985	362.9
Mar 1985	360.9
Apr 1985	358.3
May 1985	353.7
Jun 1985	350.8
Jul 1985	347.5
Aug 1985	345.4
Sep 1985	340.8
Oct 1985	341.7
Nov 1985	338.5
Dec 1985	332.4
Jan 1986	337.4
Feb 1986	332.5
Mar 1986	330.9
Apr 1986	327.6
May 1986	324.9
Jun 1986	318.1
Jul 1986	322.8
Aug 1986	321.0
Sep 1986	317.9
Oct 1986	316.2
Nov 1986	315.3
Dec 1986	311.8
Jan 1987	307.8
Feb 1987	305.1
Mar 1987	302.0
Apr 1987	303.6
May 1987	302.7
Jun 1987	299.9
Jul 1987	300.6
Aug 1987	300.0
Sep 1987	300.3
Oct 1987	298.8
Nov 1987	293.3
Dec 1987	294.1
Jan 1988	293.5
Feb 1988	293.6
Mar 1988	292.9
Apr 1988	291.7
May 1988	289.8
Jun 1988	291.1
Jul 1988	290.1
Aug 1988	288.5
Sep 1988	288.6
Oct 1988	287.7
Nov 1988	287.9
Dec 1988	288.7
Jan 1989	287.9
Feb 1989	288.1
Mar 1989	286.1
Apr 1989	289.6
May 1989	287.2
Jun 1989	286.1
Jul 1989	283.2
Aug 1989	283.8
Sep 1989	282.4
Oct 1989	281.4
Nov 1989	282.0
Dec 1989	281.5
Jan 1990	278.1
Feb 1990	276.2
Mar 1990	275.3
Apr 1990	274.3
May 1990	273.3
Jun 1990	272.8
Jul 1990	270.2
Aug 1990	267.9
Sep 1990	267.3
Oct 1990	265.9
Nov 1990	263.5
Dec 1990	260.9
Jan 1991	260.7
Feb 1991	258.1
Mar 1991	256.0
Apr 1991	254.2
May 1991	253.0
Jun 1991	251.7
Jul 1991	251.3
Aug 1991	250.6
Sep 1991	247.4
Oct 1991	247.5
Nov 1991	246.6
Dec 1991	244.6
Jan 1992	241.5
Feb 1992	241.5
Mar 1992	243.8
Apr 1992	245.7
May 1992	243.3
Jun 1992	241.4
Jul 1992	240.3
Aug 1992	242.5
Sep 1992	241.9
Oct 1992	240.9
Nov 1992	239.1
Dec 1992	239.0
Jan 1993	238.3
Feb 1993	239.8
Mar 1993	235.8
Apr 1993	235.7
May 1993	235.4
Jun 1993	234.7
Jul 1993	235.1
Aug 1993	230.5
Sep 1993	230.9
Oct 1993	228.4
Nov 1993	228.0
Dec 1993	228.2
Jan 1994	226.3
Feb 1994	225.4
Mar 1994	225.1
Apr 1994	223.4
May 1994	222.3
Jun 1994	223.9
Jul 1994	223.5
Aug 1994	219.6
Sep 1994	222.6
Oct 1994	222.7
Nov 1994	224.1
Dec 1994	221.7
Jan 1995	222.1
Feb 1995	222.5
Mar 1995	222.1
Apr 1995	222.4
May 1995	220.6
Jun 1995	219.2
Jul 1995	217.7
Aug 1995	218.0
Sep 1995	216.0
Oct 1995	215.4
Nov 1995	215.0
Dec 1995	215.2
Jan 1996	213.1
Feb 1996	212.9
Mar 1996	211.7
Apr 1996	210.9
May 1996	209.7
Jun 1996	208.1
Jul 1996	207.8
Aug 1996	207.8
Sep 1996	207.8
Oct 1996	207.8
Nov 1996	206.0
Dec 1996	204.6
Jan 1997	203.2
Feb 1997	202.5
Mar 1997	201.8
Apr 1997	200.7
May 1997	201.6
Jun 1997	203.7
Jul 1997	204.0
Aug 1997	199.9
Sep 1997	201.8
Oct 1997	201.3
Nov 1997	202.6
Dec 1997	203.0
Jan 1998	203.6
Feb 1998	203.1
Mar 1998	202.8
Apr 1998	203.0
May 1998	203.9
Jun 1998	204.2
Jul 1998	204.3
Aug 1998	204.6
Sep 1998	206.1
Oct 1998	204.7
Nov 1998	202.3
Dec 1998	202.4
Jan 1999	204.1
Feb 1999	203.0
Mar 1999	205.1
Apr 1999	205.6
May 1999	205.6
Jun 1999	207.4
Jul 1999	205.5
Aug 1999	203.0
Sep 1999	204.9
Oct 1999	205.3
Nov 1999	205.3
Dec 1999	206.7
Jan 2000	206.7
Feb 2000	207.7
Mar 2000	206.0
Apr 2000	205.8
May 2000	204.6
Jun 2000	204.5
Jul 2000	205.9
Aug 2000	206.0
Sep 2000	205.6
Oct 2000	205.6
Nov 2000	205.5
Dec 2000	202.9
Jan 2001	201.8
Feb 2001	201.6
Mar 2001	201.3
Apr 2001	200.9
May 2001	201.0
Jun 2001	198.6
Jul 2001	196.7
Aug 2001	196.6
Sep 2001	196.2
Oct 2001	195.1
Nov 2001	193.1
Dec 2001	194.7
Jan 2002	195.5
Feb 2002	194.1
Mar 2002	191.2
Apr 2002	188.0
May 2002	187.0
Jun 2002	182.6
Jul 2002	184.4
Aug 2002	184.3
Sep 2002	183.0
Oct 2002	182.6
Nov 2002	184.4
Dec 2002	183.7
Jan 2003	182.7
Feb 2003	182.2
Mar 2003	181.7
Apr 2003	182.9
May 2003	183.0
Jun 2003	184.3
Jul 2003	184.8
Aug 2003	183.3
Sep 2003	185.7
Oct 2003	185.8
Nov 2003	186.5
Dec 2003	187.0
Jan 2004	187.4
Feb 2004	188.0
Mar 2004	188.9
Apr 2004	189.5
May 2004	189.8
Jun 2004	191.5
Jul 2004	191.8
Aug 2004	191.9
Sep 2004	192.8
Oct 2004	193.3
Nov 2004	192.8
Dec 2004	192.6
Jan 2005	193.0
Feb 2005	192.9
Mar 2005	193.2
Apr 2005	193.1
May 2005	193.6
Jun 2005	193.0
Jul 2005	193.2
Aug 2005	192.5
Sep 2005	192.4
Oct 2005	192.4
Nov 2005	191.8
Dec 2005	191.4
Jan 2006	190.9
Feb 2006	190.5
Mar 2006	190.3
Apr 2006	191.3
May 2006	192.1
Jun 2006	192.2
Jul 2006	192.9
Aug 2006	192.6
Sep 2006	192.7
Oct 2006	193.7
Nov 2006	193.7
Dec 2006	196.4
Jan 2007	197.3
Feb 2007	198.7
Mar 2007	199.5
Apr 2007	198.8
May 2007	199.0
Jun 2007	197.1
Jul 2007	197.6
Aug 2007	198.2
Sep 2007	197.9
Oct 2007	196.5
Nov 2007	196.2
Dec 2007	195.4
Jan 2008	195.8
Feb 2008	195.5
Mar 2008	195.4
Apr 2008	196.1
May 2008	196.0
Jun 2008	194.5
Jul 2008	196.0
Aug 2008	195.2
Sep 2008	194.2
Oct 2008	196.0
Nov 2008	195.5
Dec 2008	194.4
Jan 2009	195.2
Feb 2009	192.7
Mar 2009	190.2
Apr 2009	188.2
May 2009	185.0
Jun 2009	181.9
Jul 2009	182.0
Aug 2009	181.8
Sep 2009	181.0
Oct 2009	179.6
Nov 2009	178.6
Dec 2009	178.7
Jan 2010	177.9
Feb 2010	178.2
Mar 2010	178.8
Apr 2010	179.4
May 2010	180.5
Jun 2010	182.3
Jul 2010	184.1
Aug 2010	184.6
Sep 2010	186.0
Oct 2010	187.1
Nov 2010	188.4
Dec 2010	188.6
Jan 2011	188.6
Feb 2011	190.1
Mar 2011	191.4
Apr 2011	191.5
May 2011	192.8
Jun 2011	193.7
Jul 2011	193.6
Aug 2011	194.9
Sep 2011	194.6
Oct 2011	195.0
Nov 2011	194.7
Dec 2011	194.6
Jan 2012	195.1
Feb 2012	194.7
Mar 2012	195.2
Apr 2012	196.5
May 2012	195.8
Jun 2012	195.4
Jul 2012	194.8
Aug 2012	194.9
Sep 2012	193.5
Oct 2012	195.0
Nov 2012	194.8
Dec 2012	195.6
Jan 2013	196.2
Feb 2013	196.6
Mar 2013	196.7
Apr 2013	196.7
May 2013	195.8
Jun 2013	195.9
Jul 2013	195.4
Aug 2013	194.0
Sep 2013	194.7
Oct 2013	194.3
Nov 2013	195.2
Dec 2013	195.2
Jan 2014	195.1
Feb 2014	195.4
Mar 2014	195.5
Apr 2014	196.4
May 2014	198.1
Jun 2014	198.5
Jul 2014	200.0
Aug 2014	200.7
Sep 2014	202.8
Oct 2014	203.1
Nov 2014	204.3
Dec 2014	205.8
Jan 2015	208.0
Feb 2015	209.2
Mar 2015	209.7
Apr 2015	209.8
May 2015	208.2
Jun 2015	206.8
Jul 2015	204.2
Aug 2015	202.2
Sep 2015	199.9
Oct 2015	197.9
Nov 2015	195.8
Dec 2015	192.0
Jan 2016	187.8
Feb 2016	184.6
Mar 2016	183.3
Apr 2016	182.3
May 2016	182.2
Jun 2016	181.9
Jul 2016	183.1
Aug 2016	183.5
Sep 2016	183.6
Oct 2016	183.7
Nov 2016	184.0
Dec 2016	183.7
Jan 2017	183.2
Feb 2017	184.1
Mar 2017	184.8
Apr 2017	183.7
May 2017	183.4
Jun 2017	182.4
Jul 2017	181.3
Aug 2017	180.8
Sep 2017	180.1
Oct 2017	179.8
Nov 2017	179.3
Dec 2017	179.4
Jan 2018	179.3
Feb 2018	179.7
Mar 2018	179.6
Apr 2018	180.1
May 2018	181.2
Jun 2018	181.3
Jul 2018	181.8
Aug 2018	182.3
Sep 2018	183.2
Oct 2018	183.7
Nov 2018	184.1
Dec 2018	183.4
Jan 2019	183.6
Feb 2019	182.5
Mar 2019	181.2
Apr 2019	179.5
May 2019	177.4
Jun 2019	175.6
Jul 2019	174.6
Aug 2019	172.3
Sep 2019	169.9
Oct 2019	166.8
Nov 2019	164.9
Dec 2019	163.4
Jan 2020	160.5
Feb 2020	159.4
Mar 2020	158.3
Apr 2020	153.9
May 2020	148.2
Jun 2020	145.2
Jul 2020	144.8
Aug 2020	145.1
Sep 2020	145.4
Oct 2020	144.4
Nov 2020	143.3
Dec 2020	144.5
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.