Trucking Adds 2,300 Jobs in July
Trucking added 2,300 jobs in July and the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 6.2% as more people entered the workforce, Labor Department reported Aug. 1.
The economy added 209,000 jobs, after a 298,000 increase in June that was 10,000 higher than originally reported. Economists had forecast a 230,000 July increase.
The department revised the trucking industry’s June increase to 3,900 jobs, from an originally reported 3,300.
"In recent conversations with our schools, we are seeing increased interest from carriers for drivers," said Commercial Vehicle Training Association President and CEO Don Lefeve "Clearly, the driver shortage is real and our schools stand ready to meet the challenge of producing high quality drivers into the industry."
The transportation and warehousing sector, which includes trucking, added 7,900 positions in July. That followed a 14,800 gain in June that was lower than the 16,600 first reported.
Manufacturing jobs jumped by 28,000, after a June increase of 23,000 that was higher than the 16,000 originally reported.
Construction added 22,000 positions in July, after a 10,000 gain in June that was up from an originally reported 6,000.
The Labor Department’s survey of households — a separate survey that is used to derive the unemployment rate — showed that more people entered the labor force. The workforce participation rate rose to 62.9% from 62.8% in June, which had matched the lowest since March 1978.
Bloomberg News contributed to this story
