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Railroad industry employment has declined significantly in the United States
during recent decades. Factors contributing to this decline include increased
efficiency, industry consolidation, automation with new technologies, and
reduction in both passenger and freight service. Between the years of 1951 and 1972, industry employment declined by an
average of more than 40,000 jobs per year. The chart below shows annual railroad
industry employment since 1947.
Railroad employment stabilized in the
mid-to-late 1990s. Pressures to operate more efficiently left some freight
railroads unprepared for the recent surge in demand since 2003. In 2006, the
Association of American Railroads (AAR) indicated that the railroad industry
will create 80,000 jobs over the next six years in response to surging freight
demand and baby boomer retirement.
For employment opportunities in the railroad industry, please see
RailServe.com's Railroad Employment & Career
Opportunities Page.
|
Year |
Employment |
Change |
|
1947 |
1,516,000 |
|
|
1948 |
1,477,000 |
-39,000 |
|
1949 |
1,331,000 |
-146,000 |
|
1950 |
1,354,000 |
23,000 |
|
1951 |
1,411,000 |
57,000 |
|
1952 |
1,363,000 |
-48,000 |
|
1953 |
1,340,000 |
-23,000 |
|
1954 |
1,184,000 |
-156,000 |
|
1955 |
1,173,000 |
-11,000 |
|
1956 |
1,160,000 |
-13,000 |
|
1957 |
1,092,000 |
-68,000 |
|
1958 |
933,000 |
-159,000 |
|
1959 |
901,000 |
-32,000 |
|
1960 |
862,000 |
-39,000 |
|
1961 |
795,000 |
-67,000 |
|
1962 |
775,000 |
-20,000 |
|
1963 |
751,000 |
-24,000 |
|
1964 |
736,000 |
-15,000 |
|
1965 |
716,000 |
-20,000 |
|
1966 |
706,000 |
-10,000 |
|
1967 |
680,000 |
-26,000 |
|
1968 |
650,000 |
-30,000 |
|
1969 |
632,000 |
-18,000 |
|
1970 |
617,000 |
-15,000 |
|
1971 |
589,000 |
-28,000 |
|
1972 |
566,000 |
-23,000 |
|
1973 |
563,000 |
-3,000 |
|
1974 |
574,000 |
11,000 |
|
1975 |
533,000 |
-41,000 |
|
1976 |
523,000 |
-10,000 |
|
1977 |
530,000 |
7,000 |
|
1978 |
524,000 |
-6,000 |
|
1979 |
541,000 |
17,000 |
|
1980 |
518,000 |
-23,000 |
|
1981 |
482,000 |
-36,000 |
|
1982 |
418,000 |
-64,000 |
|
1983 |
366,000 |
-52,000 |
|
1984 |
365,000 |
-1,000 |
|
1985 |
349,000 |
-16,000 |
|
1986 |
323,000 |
-26,000 |
|
1987 |
300,000 |
-23,000 |
|
1988 |
290,000 |
-10,000 |
|
1989 |
284,000 |
-6,000 |
|
1990 |
271,000 |
-13,000 |
|
1991 |
255,000 |
-16,000 |
|
1992 |
248,000 |
-7,000 |
|
1993 |
242,000 |
-6,000 |
|
1994 |
234,000 |
-8,000 |
|
1995 |
232,000 |
-2,000 |
|
1996 |
225,000 |
-7,000 |
|
1997 |
220,000 |
-5,000 |
|
1998 |
225,000 |
5,000 |
|
1999 |
228,000 |
3,000 |
|
2000 |
231,000 |
3,000 |
|
2001 |
226,000 |
-5,000 |
|
2002 |
217,000 |
-9,000 |
|
2003 |
217,000 |
0 |
|
2004 |
224,000 |
7,000 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
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