Transportation Jobs On The Rise In April

The Evolving Landscape of Trucking Jobs Amid Market Turbulence

The labor market, already volatile, experienced significant disruptions over the past three years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The trucking industry, closely tied to supply chain dynamics, faced its share of challenges. However, recent trends indicate a more positive outlook for jobs in the trucking industry.

The Pandemic’s Impact on Trucking Jobs
April 2020 marked a turning point when the trucking industry suffered its largest single-month job loss ever, with around 88,300 truckers becoming unemployed. This period was even more challenging than the already tough year of 2019. For context, in August 2019, the industry shed over 5,000 jobs, whereas April 2020 saw a staggering sixteen-fold increase in terminations. Other sectors like leisure and hospitality also faced similar losses due to their in-person nature and pandemic-related restrictions.

Positive Signs in 2023
Fast forward to 2023, and the employment landscape for the trucking industry has changed. Although the pandemic’s impact persists, jobs in the transportation sector are on the rise. Since April 2020, only four months have seen a decrease in overall trucking employment, accounting for just 11.7% of months during this period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Factors Contributing to Recovery

Several factors contribute to this recovery. Many owner-operators who weathered the tough times are transitioning to employment with larger trucking companies. Additionally, there is a notable increase in demand for truckloads in sectors like construction and oil and gas drilling, which previously experienced decreased demand.

Unexpected Growth in Warehousing and Storage

The warehousing and storage sector within the transportation industry has also shown unexpected growth. Although employment in these sectors had not increased since June 2022, both March and April 2023 saw growth. The BLS revised its predictions, reflecting a positive trend, with the total job growth in the transportation industry reaching 250,000 new jobs in April 2023.In summary, despite the tumultuous environment created by the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, the trucking industry is showing signs of resilience and recovery, with positive job growth trends and various contributing factors.

—Jack