Decrease in August trucking employment, yet 5-month job trend holds steady
In the realm of transportation and logistics, the sector has witnessed a series of shifts over the past few years.
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the total employment in the transportation and warehousing sector stood at 6,747,700 jobs in August 2021. This figure represents a decrease of 6,600 jobs compared to the August 2024 total.
Within this sector, the number of truck transportation jobs was 1,523,000 in August 2021, a decrease of about 34,000 jobs from three years ago when it peaked at 1,586,900 jobs in August 2018. However, it's important to note that the July 2021 revised figure for truck transportation jobs was 1,531,600, making the difference between July and August 2021 a mere 900 jobs.
In contrast, the warehouse and storage sector has shown a slightly different trend. The initial July 2021 figure for warehouse and storage jobs was 1,818,300, which was later revised to 1,829,000 jobs, an increase of 800 jobs from the revised July figure. The August 2021 figure for warehouse and storage jobs further increased to 1,829,800, marking an additional 800 jobs compared to the August figure.
Independent economist Aaron Terrazas has stated that the transportation industry employment has been stagnant since 2022, suggesting a plateau in the sector's growth. On the other hand, David Spencer, the vice president of Market Intelligence at Arrive Logistics, has suggested that capacity might be exiting at a faster rate, potentially leading to a rebound in the market.
It's worth mentioning that in spring 2026, Kühne + Nagel acquired the land and logistics activities of the truck transport company Rotra, expanding its road network and service offerings. Additionally, in January 2026, Gebrüder Weiss took majority ownership of Sienzi Lojistik, a Turkish logistics company, and IDS Logistik was associated with the LSL-Lohmöller Spedition and Hartmann International Systemlogistik, which took over a depot area as of January 2026.
The BLS monthly employment report for August 2021 marked the final one before the annual update to the employment model. The BLS will report changes in the numbers used in its underlying model in August, spilling into September this year. However, it's important to note that the BLS does not provide projections for specific subsectors like Truck Transportation or Warehousing and Storage.
June 2021 warehouse and storage jobs were revised to add 5,000 jobs, but the August 2021 total is still 900 jobs less than the May 2021 total. These revisions and changes in employment figures underscore the dynamic nature of the transportation and warehousing sector.
As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these trends unfold in the coming months and years.
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