Latest -- And Possibly Last -- In Series Of Ever-Smaller Increases

It's still an increase... but the trend is clearly pointing down. US scheduled passenger airlines employed 0.8 percent more workers in May 2008 than in May 2007, the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported Tuesday. That's the 16th consecutive increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous year... but the smallest year-to-year increase since March 2007.

The seven network carriers all added FTEs from May 2007 to May 2008. All of the currently reporting low-cost carriers and regional carriers American Eagle Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Mesaba Airlines, Executive Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, Republic Airlines, Shuttle America and GoJet Airlines increased their FTEs compared to last year.

The seven network carriers employed 283,628 FTEs in May, 68.2 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 14.8 percent and regional carriers also employed 14.8 percent.

FTEs at the seven network carriers increased 6.7 percent in May 2008 compared to May 2007, the 13th consecutive monthly gain from the same month of the previous year. Prior to an increase in May 2007, the network group had reduced FTEs from the previous year every month since September 2001.

Every network carrier increased FTEs from May 2007 to May 2008. The year-to-year increases were US Airways 62.3 percent, Delta Air Lines 4.8 percent, Alaska Airlines 5.8 percent, Continental Airlines 2.1 percent, Northwest Airlines 1.1 percent, United Airlines 0.8 percent and American 0.1 percent.

American Airlines employed the most FTEs in May among the network carriers, and American Eagle employed the most among regional carriers. But, as ANN reported, American plans to slash its workforce by some 7,000 workers by the end of this year... the largest of several planned layoffs and furloughs at many of the nation's airlines.

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