US Airlines Employ 8.1% Fewer People In July On Year - DOT

   DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

U.S. airlines employed 8.1% fewer workers in July than a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Steep declines in business travel during the economic downturn have been taking a heavy toll on U.S. airlines, offsetting the benefits of lower fuel prices and forcing them to take new steps to control costs and boost revenue.

Total full- and part-time employment was 563,112 in July, down 2.2% from June's revised figure of 575,498.

Among carriers with at least $1 billion in annual revenue, the year-to-year drop was 7%. The passenger airline with the biggest decline was Northwest Airlines at 13%. It was bought last year by Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), whose employment rolls dropped 3.1%.

Discount carriers Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) and JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) were the only major airlines to show employment growth - 1.8% and 4.4%, respectively. They have continued to expand to new destinations amid the industrywide retrenchment.

-By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291; [e-mail]