# Retirements, demand spur railroads to hire



## Save Our Trains Michigan (Nov 21, 2006)

Off UTU web site



> *Retirements, demand spur railroads to hire **CHICAGO -- While some sectors of the U.S. economy are in the midst of cutting jobs, railroad companies continue hiring people at a rapid clip thanks to retirements and healthy demand for transportation services, according to this MarketWatch report by Desiree J. Hanford. *
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> *The industry needs to add about 80,000 employees between 2005 and 2011, requiring the hiring of at least twice as many workers as usual, the Association of American Railroads says. The needs range from locomotive engineers to conductors to track workers. *
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> ...


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## frj1983 (Nov 22, 2006)

Save Our Trains Michigan said:


> Off UTU web site
> 
> 
> > *Retirements, demand spur railroads to hire **CHICAGO -- While some sectors of the U.S. economy are in the midst of cutting jobs, railroad companies continue hiring people at a rapid clip thanks to retirements and healthy demand for transportation services, according to this MarketWatch report by Desiree J. Hanford. *
> ...


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*I don't think this is any different than any other industry as people reach retirement age or retire early, they need to be replaced. Why do I get the feeling that this is a surprise to the RR's? Don't they think and plan ahead?*


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## gswager (Nov 22, 2006)

One year they would hire a large number of employees while other years will be fewer incomings, that's why each year are not level enough to keep steady incoming workforce.


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## TransAtlantic (Nov 27, 2006)

Actually, there has been a difficult-to-forsee situation for both freight and Amtrak, in that both freight traffic (owing to Chinese container ships' being too large for the Panama Canal) and passenger traffic (owing to gas prices, congestion, and many other factors) have increased far beyond projections of a few years ago, while attrition rates have jumped as there was so little hiring going on in the 80's and 90's, so all the railroads are now having to play catch-up.


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## Save Our Trains Michigan (Nov 28, 2006)

Off the UTU web site



> Short of hands, railroads amp up recruiting The hours are irregular and the work means long days away from home, but 22-year-old Brady Foster of Boone, Iowa, is following in his father's footsteps and signing on with the railroad, Business Week magazine reports.
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> The need for young workers like Foster is enormous, as thousands of baby boomers retire at a time when railroad companies are seeing a surge in business. The companies are stepping up recruitment, targeting Iraq war veterans and laid off factory workers.
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> ...


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