June Airline Industry Employment Up Less than 1% from May

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 08/09/2021 11:28 AM EDT
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Monday, August 9, 2021
Contact: BTSNews@dot.gov

 

June Airline Industry Employment Up Less than 1% from May

 

U.S. airlines employed 709,678 workers in June 2021, 48 more than in May 2021 (709,630) and 39,349 fewer than in March 2020 (749,027).

 

The June industry numbers consist of 599,050 full-time and 110,628 part-time workers.

 

From the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 through June 2021, the largest passenger airlines dropped 55,920 employees: United Airlines, -22,467; Delta Air Lines, -21,647; and American Airlines, -10,368. During that time, major cargo airlines added 22,594 employees with Federal Express adding 23,337.

 

Line graph of June 2020 through June 2020 Airline Industry Employment Numbers

 

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.

 

Total employment (full-time + part-time) by U.S. airlines (passenger + cargo carriers):

June 2020                                695,373 (revised)       
May 2021                                709,630 (revised)
June 2021                                709,678

 

Major Airlines' Total Employees, March 2020 and June 2021
Includes Full-time and Part-time Employees

 

Mar-20

Jun-21

Change in Employees

Percent Change

Alaska

17,912

16,770

-1,142

-6.4%

Allegiant

4,487

4,349

-138

-3.1%

American

109,108

98,740

-10,368

-9.5%

Atlas

3,121

3,579

458

14.7%

Delta

89,980

68,333

-21,647

-24.1%

Envoy

16,781

15,447

-1,334

-7.9%

Federal Express

245,010

268,347

23,337

9.5%

Frontier

5,181

5,178

-3

-0.1%

Hawaiian

7,492

6,033

-1,459

-19.5%

JetBlue

21,546

18,993

-2,553

-11.8%

Kalitta

2,013

2,268

255

12.7%

Polar Air Cargo

226

250

24

10.6%

Republic

6,519

5,745

-774

-11.9%

SkyWest

20,544

14,604

-5,940

-28.9%

Southwest

62,081

55,293

-6,788

-10.9%

Spirit

9,213

9,260

47

0.5%

United

91,563

69,096

-22,467

-24.5%

United Parcel Service

6,279

6,591

312

5.0%

Major Airline Total

719,056

668,876

-50,180

-7.0%
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Airline Employment Data (P1a)
Major Carrier: Over $1 billion annual operating revenue

 

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 June 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 Sept. 8. The BTS press release on full-time equivalent employment for scheduled passenger airlines through June, with historic comparisons and summary tables will be issued Aug. 16.

 

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