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Workforce Issues

Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead

Transit Workforce Shortage

Public transit providers across North America face a shortage of operators and mechanics, a crisis that has strained budgets and forced agencies to reduce service. This shortage is occurring during a period of economic instability and reshuffling exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Agencies’ ability to respond to the worker shortage has been hampered by inadequate information about its causes and effects. The Transit Workforce Shortage Study builds a framework for APTA, its members, and its partner organizations to better understand the workforce shortage’s causes and provides best practices for recruiting, hiring, and retaining transit operations workers.

APTA’s Transit Workforce Shortage Study combines information from a survey of public transit workers and interviews with public transportation agencies to provide insight into ways to address the national shortage of transit workers. The report provides information on actions agencies have taken to address the workforce shortage, and the toolkit provides step-by-step answers to workforce shortage scenarios agencies are facing every day.

Transit Workforce Shortage

Workforce Issues in Public Transportation:

  1. The industry faces a severe, ongoing shortage of bus drivers and technicians, and high retirement rates.
  2. Almost 43% of the workforce is nearing retirement age (42.7% are 55 or older), creating a massive loss of experience and institutional knowledge.
  3. Increased passenger incidents, including physical assault and harassment of operators, have made the profession less appealing and increased burnout.
  4. Starting wages are often not competitive in high-cost-of-living areas, and slow wage progression fails to entice or retain workers compared to other industries.
  5. Undesirable schedules, long hours, and lack of flexibility contribute to high turnover and workers taping into “the competition” (ex. Uber, Amazon, FedEx, etc.).
  6. The industry invests significantly less in training compared to the private sector.
  7. Challenges in training the workforce for new and more automated technologies.
  8. Cumbersome, lengthy hiring procedures (e.g., long background checks, CDL requirements) cause many candidates to abandon the application process in favor of faster-hiring employers.

APTA’s Workforce Summit

The 2026 APTA Workforce Summit, held May 20–21 in Salt Lake City, UT in conjunction with APTA’s Mobility Conference, brings together industry leaders, managers, and labor partners to explore what AI means for transit operations, workforce planning, HR solutions, and rapidly evolving technology. The summit tackles the questions transit organizations can’t afford to ignore: what new skills will teams need, how do we attract and retain next-generation talent, and how do we balance innovation with the needs of customers, boards, and communities.

Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition

The Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition was instituted by former Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater to encourage young people to consider careers in transportation. The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) has sponsored a competition every year since 2001. Sponsored by the US Department of Transportation, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and other industry partners, this program engages students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a competition focused on sustainable transportation.

NTI Maintenance Leadership Workshop

The NTI Maintenance Leadership Workshop teaches administrative skills, strategic planning, and leadership techniques to current managers working in transit maintenance. This course is valuable both for individuals looking to develop their professional capacities, and for agencies looking to prepare their next generation of executives. The course includes both workshop sessions and networking opportunities for maintenance professionals.

Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure

The Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure program spotlights and builds awareness of infrastructure careers, inspires young people to actively participate in planning, building, and strengthening our communities from the ground up by engaging them in “real-world” learning opportunities within their local communities.

International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC)

The International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) is a national nonprofit based in Silver Spring, MD, dedicated to advancing frontline workforce development across industry sectors critical to the nation’s economic growth—including transportation, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. To accomplish this mission, ITLC builds and supports partnerships that build workforce skills, promote career advancement, and improve organizational performance.