By the end of 2014, the nation’s major freight railroads will have hired 45,000 people since 2012, including an estimated 9,900 men and women with military service, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Railroads are also on track to exceed the projected industry hiring target of 12,000 people in 2014, reporting they expect they will hire more than 17,000 this year, the organization said.
“As America’s economy continues to rebound, railroads are moving more, and adding capacity by hiring people and investing in infrastructure and equipment,” said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger said in a statement. “The demand for moving freight by rail will continue to grow, and railroads are looking for good people to help them serve customers and power the nation’s economy. We’re proud to say that history has shown us how the skills, dedication and discipline possessed by men and women in the military make them a perfect fit for railroading.”
The rate at which freight railroads are hiring people with military service has allowed the industry to exceed its 2012 commitment under the White House Joining Forces Program to hire more than 5,000 veterans by the end of 2013, AAR said in a news release. Nearly one-in-four of every new railroad hire has military service.
“Railroads, like our military, are mission critical to the health and security of our nation,” Hamberger said. “Companies devote tremendous resources to training employees in often high-tech positions, and offer highly competitive compensation packages.”
