(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on February 25, 2010.)
U.S. Class Is’ workforce-reducing ways of 2009 have carried over into 2010. As of mid-January, their workforce stood at 145,609, down 0.8 percent from December’s level and 8.7 percent from January 2009’s count, according to Surface Transportation Board (STB) data.
The transportation (train and engine) workforce of 55,876 registered the largest month-over-month drop at 1.7 percent and biggest year-over-year decline at 11.6 percent. At 6,533, the number of transportation (other than T&E) workers decreased 0.2 percent from December’s level and 10.7 percent from January 2009’s count.
Meanwhile, executives/officials/staff assistants totaled 9,029, down 0.4 percent month over month and 10.8 percent year over year. Professional and administrative staff in mid-January totaled 13,256, down 0.3 percent from December’s count and 3.6 percent from January 2009’s level.
The number of maintenance-of-equipment and stores workers fell 0.6 percent month over month — and plunged 8.2 percent year over year — to 28,186. The maintenance-of-way and structures workforce of 32,729 declined 0.3 percent on a month-over-month basis and 5 percent on a year-over-year basis.