APTA Releases Phase 2 of Its Transit Workforce Shortage Report

As part of its Legislative Conference being held this week in Washington, D.C., APTA released results from Phase 2 of its Transit Workforce Shortage report.

Phase 1 was released in October 22 and focused on the macro causes of the worker shortage. Phase 2 combines information from a survey of current and former transit workers with information from interviews with 18 public transit agencies to provide insight into ways to address the national shortage of transit workers. The report also includes a toolkit for public transportation agencies to use in assessing and improving their workforce development processes to address the worker shortage.

The main findings from the report’s release include:

• Pay, work schedule, and agency responsiveness are key to retaining and attracting workers.
• Agencies generally have a clear understanding of why they are struggling to hire or retain workers, and many are already taking proactive steps to close gaps and prepare for the future.
• Agencies must work to accommodate the changing needs and preferences of the transit workforce. Agencies that have successfully recruited and retained workers have adapted their policies and practices to accommodate their employees’ responsibilities and priorities.

“The transit workforce shortage is among the most pressing issues facing our industry,” said APTA President/CEO Paul Skoutelas. “The agencies who participated in this study are demonstrating creativity and resilience in addressing their workforce needs. APTA hopes that this document will contribute to the exchange of ideas between agencies and encourage them to find new and innovative ways to maintain the workforce needed to provide essential transportation services to communities across the nation.”