US Airlines Add Record Number of Jobs as Travel Demand Rebounds
US passenger and cargo airlines have reached a new milestone in their employment levels, as they added more than 124,000 jobs from December 2020 to July 2023. According to Airlines for America (A4A), the trade group representing major US carriers, the industry now employs 803,893 workers, the highest number ever recorded.
The July 2023 employment figure represents an increase of 8% compared with July 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the aviation sector. The industry lost about 90,000 jobs in 2020, as travel demand plummeted due to lockdowns, travel restrictions, and health concerns.
However, as vaccination rates increased and travel restrictions eased, travel demand has rebounded strongly in 2021 and 2022, especially in domestic and leisure markets. According to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), passenger throughput at US airports has surpassed pre-pandemic levels on several days in July and August 2023.
To meet the surge in demand, US airlines have been hiring more workers across various functions, such as pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, customer service agents, and ground staff. A4A said that its member airlines have collectively hired more than 50,000 workers since January 2021.
Some of the airlines that have announced significant hiring plans include United Airlines, which plans to add 25,000 workers by 2026; American Airlines, which plans to hire 19,000 workers by the end of 2021; and Delta Air Lines, which plans to hire 5,000 workers by the end of 2021.
The US airline industry has also benefited from the federal government’s payroll support program (PSP), which provided $54 billion in grants and loans to help airlines retain their workers during the pandemic. The PSP expired on September 30, 2021, but A4A said that it was not seeking an extension of the program.
A4A’s president and CEO Nicholas Calio said that the US airline industry was grateful for the government’s support and was optimistic about its future. He said, “We are proud of the role our industry plays in connecting people and goods, driving economic growth and supporting millions of jobs. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers and communities as travel demand recovers.”
A4A, bts.gov