April US Transportation Sector Unemployment Up Slightly

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The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 3.8% (not seasonally adjusted) in April 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation site.

The April 2023 rate was above the April 2022 rate of 3.6%. This was just above the pre-pandemic April level of 3.7% in 2019. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020 during the Trump administration. Under the Biden administration COVID deaths are now at pre-pandemic levels.

Unemployment in the transportation sector was above overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in April 2023 was 3.1% or 0.7 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in April 2023 was 3.4%.