Transportation sector loses 1,300 jobs in February

By Keith Laing - 03/08/13 10:13 AM ET

Transportation employment decreased by 1,300 jobs in February, even as the overall U.S. unemployment rate ticked down.

Statistics released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed the national unemployment rate decreased from 7.9 percent in January to 7.7 percent in February after an increase of 236,000 jobs in the month.

The BLS report showed employment in the transportation sector decreased from 4,473,400 in January to 4,472,100 last month.

The losses mark the third consecutive month of transportation job losses after a string of five months that saw increases in employment in the sector following the passage of a $105 billion surface transportation bill last summer.

The sector with the highest number of gains in transportation employment in February, according to BLS, was trucking, which increased by 5,600 jobs. Truck companies had 1,382,900 jobs in February, compared to 1,377,300 in January.

The highest number of losses in transportation employment came in transit and ground passenger transportation, which went from 465,600 jobs in January to 462,200 jobs in February.

The labor statistics bureau found the aviation industry lost 1,300 jobs, going from 446,300 in January to 445,000 last month. Rail employment was even, with the industry containing 230,500 jobs in both January and February.

The full BLS report can be read here.