Source: US DOT
Major passenger airlines add an estimated 2,823 jobs in October; major cargo carriers add 1,237
U.S. airlines employed an estimated 722,587 workers in September 2021, which is 2,817 (0.4%) more workers than in September 2021 (719,770) and 23,959 (3.2%) fewer than in pre-pandemic October 2019 (746,546).
NOTE: This data is estimated because one major passenger carrier has not yet reported its October employment. BTS has imputed data for that carrier based on a 5-month moving average of its full- and part-time employees.
The October industry-wide numbers include an estimated 619,087 full-time and 103,499 part-time workers, an increase from September of 2,872 full-time workers and a decrease of 56 part-time workers. As of October, the U.S. airline industry is operating with 30,795 fewer employees (4.1%) than in mid-February 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total employment (full-time + part-time) by U.S. airlines (passenger + cargo carriers):
October 2019: 746,546 February 2020 (COVID-19 onset): 753,382 October 2020 (pandemic low point): 669,172 September 2021 (pandemic high point): 719,770 (revised) October 2021: 722,587
Major passenger airlines (carriers with more than $1 billion annual operating revenue) reporting this month and last month added 2,823 employees in October, led for the second consecutive month by Delta Air Lines (up 2,386). American Airlines (-381) and SkyWest (-224) dropped the most employees among reporting major passenger carriers.
Major cargo airlines (carriers with more than $1 billion annual operating revenue) reporting this month and last month added 1,237 employees in October. Of these carriers, Federal Express (1,225) added the most employees.
Regulations require airlines to report employment numbers to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for employees who worked or received pay for any part of the pay period(s) ending nearest the 15th day of the month. Numbers include all paid employees but do not include employees not being paid.
Additional individual airline numbers are available on the BTS airline employment web page. The web page provides full-time and part-time employment numbers by carrier by month from 1990 through October 2021.
Reports are from all U.S. airlines including scheduled passenger, charter and cargo that meet the reporting standard. Airlines that operate at least one aircraft that has more than 60 seats or the capacity to carry a payload of passengers, cargo and fuel weighing more than 18,000 pounds must report monthly employment statistics.
The next web update for full-time and part-time employment is scheduled for January 7. The BTS press release on full-time equivalent employment for scheduled passenger airlines through October, with historic comparisons and summary tables will be issued December 17.