Report: Transportation Jobs Fell During 2023

Despite adding jobs in December, the trucking industry still ended 2023 with fewer jobs overall, federal statistics reveal. 

The industry had nearly 21,000 fewer jobs in December than the year prior, according to a Jan. 5 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In more positive news, over 3,000 new jobs were added in December. 

The overall decline in 2023 can likely be attributed to August, when nearly 31,000 jobs were lost due mainly “to a business closure,” according to a BLS release at the time. Yellow filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that month. 

When warehousing is factored into the results, the sector saw a massive month–over–month decline in jobs during December — over 22,000 — more than any other industry reported. Compared to December 2022, jobs in the sector are down 62,700. 

For the economy overall, employment rose 216,000 in December, while the unemployment rate stayed level at 3.7 percent.