The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.9% (not seasonally adjusted) in July 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), rising 0.7 percentage points from 4.2% in July 2022, and above the pre-pandemic July 2019 level of 4.2%. 

Unemployment in the sector was higher than overall unemployment, which was 3.8% (not seasonally adjusted), or 1.1 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in July 2023 was 3.5%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide seasonally adjusted unemployment figures for transportation and warehousing.

Seasonally adjusted, employment in the transportation and warehousing sector fell to 6,721,500 in July 2023 — down 0.1% from the previous month but up 0.3% from July 2022. Employment in transportation and warehousing grew 18.2% in July 2023 from the pre-pandemic July 2019 level of 5,688,000. 

Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020, outpacing the national rate, which reached 13% in Q2 2020.