The unemployment rate within the U.S. transportation sector grew by 1.1% from 3.7% in October 2022 to 4.8% in October 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This also marks a 2.1% increase when compared to pre-pandemic levels during October 2019.

The unemployment rate within the U.S. transportation sector reached its highest levels during May 2020 and July 2020 (15.7%).

Transportation sector unemployment was also higher than overall unemployment across the U.S. during October. The unemployment rate in the U.S. was 3.6% not seasonally adjusted and 3.9% seasonally adjusted.

Seasonally adjusted employment in the warehouse and transportation sectors was down 0.2% from September 2023 and down 0.8% from October 2022.

Employment within the U.S. air and water transportation markets rose from September 2023 by 0.6% and 1.7% respectively. Meanwhile, employment in the U.S. declined from September to October in the truck, pipeline, warehousing/storage and transit/ground passenger transportation sectors.

The unemployment rate represents the total number of unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the civilian U.S. labor force, which includes all people ages 16 and up who are employed and/or unemployed (meaning they are actively looking for work within the last four weeks). People waiting to start a new job are considered to be out of the labor force.