Even as other middle class jobs disappear, the transportation sector continues to grow.
America's biggest city is growing, which means its new workers need new jobs. While manufacturing and other middle class jobs have been disappearing over the last decade, in New York transit jobs are flourishing.
According to an article in Next City by Johnny Magdaleno, "the transportation sector added jobs at a remarkable rate of 8.9 percent between 2013 and 2015." This data comes from a Center for an Urban Future published September 20. This finding has big implications for lower and middle class workers in New York and those without college degrees who can have trouble breaking into other sectors.
The report goes on to contrast transit jobs to other middle class jobs, "Transportation jobs pay an average of $53,417 a year, compared to $56,479 in manufacturing and $55,720 in construction. In 2015, transportation along with warehouse jobs employed 112,864 people throughout the city, while manufacturing stood at 77,213, or only about 2 percent."
The piece highlights a possible threat to these jobs in a lack of political support. Many have also speculated on what autonomous vehicles may mean for drivers. Finally, in anything to do with jobs population is a factor, and while many continue to debate whether or not millennials love cities, for now New York, for now this sector is booming.
FULL STORY: Booming Transport Sector Means More Middle-Class Jobs
Infrastructure vs. Housing
Do shortages of infrastructure justify restrictive zoning?
France's Transit Ridership Booms as the USA's Busts
Large American cities are losing bus and train riders, but in France, most cities have seen the opposite trend.
The Free Public Transit Debate
The pros and cons of fare-free transit involve a range of issues, from operations logistics and outcomes to costs and fiscal priorities.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie