Indicators: Trucking employment surged again in March

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Updated Apr 9, 2018
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CCJ‘s Indicators rounds up the latest reports on trucking business indicators on rates, freight, equipment, the economy and more.

Total employment in the for-hire trucking industry surged in March, according to the Department of Labor’s monthly Employment Situation report, adding 6,700 jobs. March’s gains follow a similar jump in February, which saw trucking industry employment climb by 6,000 jobs.

For-hire trucking employment totalled 1.4788 million in March, according to the DOL. That’s a gain of nearly 23,000 jobs compared to the same month last year, according to the DOL, with more than half of those coming in the past two months.

The economy as a whole in February added 103,000 non-farm jobs, and the country’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent.

The transportation and warehousing sector, which includes the for-hire trucking industry, added 9,800 jobs in February. The construction industry lost 15,000 jobs, and manufacturing added 22,000 jobs.

Trucking’s total is based on payroll statistics of employers and does not account for those who change jobs in the month or for those working for private fleets.