Waste, Recycling Industry Employment Grows to New Record in August

Employment in the waste and recycling industry grew by 300 jobs, reaching a new workforce record of 382,500 employees, according to the latest government statistics.

The August employment increase reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) marked the seventh consecutive monthly increase by the waste and recycling industry, after adjusting for seasonal factors.

“The waste and recycling industry continues to benefit from stable economic conditions,” said Bret Biggers, director, statistics and standards for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA), in a news release.

The BLS revised downward July’s employment number for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 562 – the waste management and remediation services category – to 382,200. The revised job gain for July was 900 jobs. 

 The waste and recycling industry’s unemployment rate remained near seven-year lows in August. Its unemployment rate in August was half the rate from a year ago – 4.4 percent compared with 9.4 percent. The numbers do not reflect industry layoffs announced in August.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly to 6.1 percent, down from 7.2 percent a year earlier.