A new job report from the U.S. Department of Labor sheds light on the stunning impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment in the trucking industry.
According to report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 8, the U.S. trucking industry cut over 88,300 jobs in the month of April, meaning that almost 6% of trucking industry workers lost their jobs.
Total jobs in trucking fell from 1,523,900 in March to 1,435,600 April, according to the report.
The transportation and warehousing industry lost a total of 584,000 jobs in April.
The trucking industry job losses line up with overall U.S. job losses caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. The unemployment rate increased from 10.4% to 14.7% in April as stay-at-home orders and the mandated closure of businesses have put a stranglehold on the economy.
Job losses in trucking-adjacent industries were also significant. Manufacturing lost 1.3 million jobs in April. Construction lost 975,000 jobs.
With states starting to ease stay-at-home orders and allowing businesses to reopen, there is hope that some of these job losses may only be temporary as companies rehire laid-off employees.