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.