BTS 40-15 Thursday, August 27, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
BTS Releases June 2015 North American Freight Numbers
The value of U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $99.0 billion in June 2015 as all modes except truck carried less U.S.-NAFTA freight than in June 2014, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by theU.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes decreased by 3.8 percent. Large decreases in the value of NAFTA trade by pipeline and vessel in June were due to the reduced unit price of mineral fuel shipments.
Freight by Mode
In June 2015 compared to June 2014, the value of commodities moving by truck increased by 5.1 percent, while rail decreased by 4.5 percent and air by 8.9 percent. Vessel freight values decreased by 24.4 percent and pipeline freight decreased by 40.0 percent mainly due to the lower unit price of mineral fuel shipments.
Trucks carried 65.0 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and are the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $33.2 billion of the $53.8 billion of imports (61.6 percent) and $31.2 billion of the $45.2 billion of exports (69.0 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 14.9 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 7.0 percent; pipeline, 5.0 percent; and air, 3.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.8 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.
U.S.-Canada Freight The value of U.S.-Canada freight totaled $52.0 billion in June 2015, down 10.3 percent from June 2014, as all modes of transportation carried a lower value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier. A recession in Canada likely contributed to the decrease of U.S.-Canada freight flows.
Lower mineral fuel prices contributed to a year-over-year decrease in the value of rail freight, down 11.7 percent. Mineral fuels are a large share of freight carried by vessel, which was down 21.7 percent year-over-year, and pipeline, down 41.0 percent.
Trucks carried 59.7 percent of the $52.0 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 15.2 percent; pipeline, 8.8 percent; vessel, 5.4 percent; and air, 4.3 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.7 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.
U.S.-Mexico Freight The value of U.S.-Mexico freight totaled $47.1 billion in June 2015, up 4.4 percent from June 2014, as three out of five transportation modes – truck, rail and air – carried more U.S.-Mexico freight than in June 2014. Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Mexico truck freight rose 10.5 percent, the largest percentage increase of any mode. Freight carried by rail increased by 5.4 percent and freight by air increased by 0.6 percent. Pipeline freight decreased by 24.3 percent and vessel freight decreased by 26.1 percent, mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices.
Trucks carried 70.8 percent of the $47.1 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 14.4 percent; vessel, 8.7 percent; air, 2.8 percent; and pipeline, 0.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 86.0 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
See BTS Transborder Data Release for summary tables and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004.
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BTS Releases June 2015 North American Freight Numbers
U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces $9.5 Million in Workforce Development Grants to Promote Careers in Transit, Ladders of Opportunity
FTA 20-15 Tuesday, August 25, 2015 Contact: Ben Lockshin Tel: 202-366-8061
U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces $9.5 Million in Workforce Development Grants to Promote Careers in Transit, Ladders of Opportunity LOS ANGELES – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $9.5 million in grants to 19 projects in 13 states selected to help train a new generation of skilled workers and support long-term careers in the public transportation industry. The announcement was made at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), and the grants are provided through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development program. “The public transit industry offers good-paying careers that can lift Americans into the middle class or help them stay there, and more of these careers will be available in the future,” said Secretary Foxx. “These grants will help us overcome skills gaps and provide more young people with the training, apprenticeships, and educational opportunities they need to gain entry into these careers.” Yesterday, the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, and Labor today released a joint report entitled “Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways across the Transportation Industry.” The report details the future growth areas or employment “hot spots” in transportation by industry subsectors, occupations, career areas, and geographic areas. Secretary Foxx was joined by FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan, executives from LATTC, Community Career Development, Inc. (CCD), the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and state and local officials. Students from LATTC’s Transportation Technologies program were also on hand to speak about their experiences and demonstrate the skills they have learned at LATTC. “The demand for skilled transit workers will continue to grow as new projects are planned, built, and come on line and as ridership continues to expand in cities like Los Angeles and other communities across the country,” said FTA Acting Administrator McMillan. “And we are committed to making careers in transit a real ladder to opportunity by helping provide education and financial security, especially for those in disadvantaged communities.” Two organizations in Los Angeles were selected in this latest round of FTA workforce development grants: LATTC will receive funding to establish the Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology Training – the first program of its kind in a community college in the country; and CCD will receive funding for its Moving Employees into Transit Related Opportunities (METRO) program, which will partner with organizations like LA Valley College to recruit and train low-income individuals, women, veterans, minorities, and others from communities throughout Metropolitan Los Angeles. FTA’s workforce development projects will develop or expand strategic partnerships with transit agencies, labor unions, nonprofits, and academic institutions, and some will also support small businesses in the transit sector owned by women and minorities. In addition, several projects will serve as scalable models that can be applied to future projects throughout the United States. Among the projects selected nationwide:
Eligible applicants included public transportation providers at the state, local, and regional level, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Native American tribes, non-profit institutions, and institutions of higher education. A list of selected projects is available online. Demand for FTA’s workforce grants far exceeded available funds, as FTA received a total of 50 applications requesting over $27 million. The Obama Administration’s GROW AMERICA Act would provide $478 billion over the next six years to help build the transportation workforce of the future, providing consistent long-term funding for transportation and infrastructure. These grants come at a crucial time in the transportation industry. According to the Strengthening Skills Training report, employers will need to hire and train a total of 4.6 million new workers – 1.2 times the current transportation workforce – due to expected growth, retirements, and turnover in the transportation industry from 2012 to 2022. It is projected that 417,000 of these positions will be created as a direct result to increased demand on our transportation systems, and the highest percentage of these jobs will be in transit and ground passenger transportation. ###
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U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, and Labor Release Joint Transportation Jobs Report
DOT 72-15 Monday, August 24, 2015 Contact: DOT Press Office Tel: 202-366-4570 PressOffice@dot.gov
U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, and Labor Release Joint Transportation Jobs Report Data indicates that transportation industry growth will add 417,000 skilled and semi-skilled job openings from 2012 to 2022
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, and Labor today released a joint report entitled “Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways across the Transportation Industry.” The report details the future growth areas or employment “hot spots” in transportation by industry subsectors, occupations, career areas, and geographic areas. It also identifies good-paying, high-demand transportation jobs and analyzes the patterns in the education and work experience required for entry, including on-the-job training requirements for new entrants to gain full competency.
“Careers in the transportation industry can lift Americans into the middle class or help them stay there, and this report concludes that there will be more job opportunities in the near future,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. “We want to fill all these new positions, so industry and government must increase recruitment and help young people get the skills, training, and apprenticeships they need to gain entry into these careers.”
The report indicates that employers will need to hire and train a total of 4.6 million new workers – 1.2 times the current transportation workforce – due to expected growth, retirements, and turnover in the transportation industry from 2012 to 2022. Projections suggest that 417,000 of these positions will be created as a direct result to increased demand on our transportation systems. The highest percentage of these jobs will be in transit and ground passenger transportation and these new openings will be concentrated in the West Coast, the Gulf Coast, the upper Mid-Atlantic, several Mountain States, and the Midwest.
Much of the regional transportation job growth is driven by growth in the large metropolitan areas within those regions – the highest number of job openings in transportation will likely be generated in New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. In addition, these jobs will pay relatively well. Thirteen out of the top 20 highest demand transportation jobs pay above the median wage, sometimes substantially.
"Ensuring that America continues to lead the way in the global economy means not only investing in the physical infrastructure that allows us to move goods and keep up with global demand, but also the skills infrastructure to support this growing workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Through smart investments in apprenticeships and other work-based training programs, transportation jobs are helping millions of Americans punch their tickets to the middle class."
While demand for transportation workers will vary by region, subsector, and occupation, these workforce changes will result in increased job opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers across the transportation sector. For every future job opening in central services or construction in the transportation industry, there will be an estimated two jobs in maintenance and 21 in operations. The recruitment and training of new and current workers responsible for the operation, maintenance, and construction of America’s transportation infrastructure will be critical to maintaining a system that meets our economic and security needs in the 21st century global economy.
But the report also highlights a significant skills gap in the demand for and supply of high skilled workers; it indicates that projected annual job openings are 68 percent larger than the number of students who are completing related educational programs annually across selected transportation occupational groups. One solution is an increase in Career and Technical Education programs of study. Such programs begin in high school and continue into postsecondary education or apprenticeship and provide the foundational and early occupational skills training needed in skilled occupations. Pre-apprenticeship programs for disadvantaged youth and adults can prepare low-skilled and underrepresented populations for entry into these skilled positions. Furthermore, Career Pathways systems that are aligned with Registered Apprenticeship programs can expand the number of people who can access these high-demand jobs.
“In today’s society, it is important that all of our students are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to compete in a global economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “There are incredible opportunities for Americans in the transportation industry and the Department is fully committed to working with leaders in the industry to promote partnerships between education and workforce institutions in order to support training programs that will help our country succeed.”
Read the full report here.
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BTS Releases June 2015 Passenger Airline Employment Data
BTS 39-15 Thursday, August 20, 2015 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568 BTS Releases June 2015 Passenger Airline Employment Data
U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 3.0 percent more workers in June 2015 than in June 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. June was the 19th consecutive month that full-time equivalent (FTE) employment for U.S. scheduled passenger airlines exceeded the same month of the previous year and was the highest monthly total since September 2008.
Month-to-month, the number of FTEs rose 0.3 percent from May to June, the sixth consecutive monthly increase (Table 1A). Scheduled passenger airline categories include network, low-cost, regional and other airlines.
The five network airlines that collectively employ two-thirds of the scheduled passenger airline FTEs reported 3.1 percent more FTEs in June 2015 than in June 2014. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways increased FTEs from June 2014 while United Airlines reduced FTEs. Month-to-month, the number of network airline FTEs rose 0.4 percent from May to June, rising for the ninth consecutive month. Network airlines operate a significant portion of their flights using at least one hub where connections are made for flights to down-line destinations or spoke cities.
The six low-cost carriers reported 4.9 percent more FTEs in June 2015 than in June 2014. Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and Virgin America reported increases while Frontier Airlines reduced FTEs. Month-to-month, the number of low-cost airline FTEs rose 0.6 percent from May to June, rising for the third consecutive month. Low-cost airlines operate under a low-cost business model, with infrastructure and aircraft operating costs below the overall industry average.
The 12 regional carriers reported 0.1 percent more FTEs in June 2015 than in June 2014. Eight regional airlines – PSA Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Compass Airlines, Horizon Air, Republic Airlines, GoJet Airlines, SkyWest and Envoy – reported increased employment levels. The others reported decreases. Month-to-month, the number of regional airline FTEs declined 0.2 percent from May to June. Regional carriers typically provide service from small cities, using primarily regional jets to support the network carriers’ hub and spoke systems.
See Passenger Airline Employment press release for summary tables and additional data. Historical employment data can be found on the BTS web site.
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Notice of Public Interest Exclusion (PIE)
Signed today and posted on the Department of Transportation’s web page for Public Interest Exclusions (PIE) is: Elizabeth “Betsy” Pope d/b/a Eastgate Laboratory Testing Public Interest Exclusion Order http://www.transportation.gov/odapc/pie. This list serve and the web page link announce that the Department of Transportation issued a PIE decision and order under the Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs excluding DOT-regulated employers and their service agents from using the drug and/or alcohol testing services of service agent, Elizabeth “Betsy” Pope d/b/a Eastgate Laboratory Testing in Tennessee and all other places that it is doing business.
Patrice M. Kelly Acting Director Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance U.S. Department of Transportation
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