WASHINGTON — Amtrak will host more than 50 hiring events in its coming fiscal year, to fill more than 4,000 available positions nationwide across a broad range of disciplines.
Many of the events and positions will be concentrated in Los Angeles; Seattle; New Orleans; New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Oakland; Philadelphia; Miami; and Wilmington, Del. A series of online hiring events are also scheduled in August and Sepetmeber, starting with the “Hiring Our Heroes — Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing” event on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. A full list of those events is available here, along with additional information.
Starting pay for onboard service positions is $21 per hour; mechanical positions include journeyman electrician jobs starting at $34.07 per hour. The company also offers hiring bonuses and relocation packages for critical positions.
“As we connect communities, economies and families, Amtrak employees have a significant opportunity to engage in truly meaningful project work,” Qiana Spain, executive vice president and chief human resource officer. “As our recruitment teams pave the way to secure top talent across Amtrak, I am proud to lead such remarkable hiring efforts.”
Beyond those 4,000 full-time position, the company also has paid internship programs and apprenticeship programs for entry-level skilled labor [see “Amtrak receives FRA funding for apprenticeship program,” Trains News Wire, June 9, 2022]. Information on the company’s benefits package is available here; more on hiring opportunities and events is available at the Amtrak careers website.
The company has struggled to fill positions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it furloughed about 1,200 employees and engaged in buyouts for more than 500 others. Shortages of onboard personnel and equipment — the latter reflecting staff shortages at company maintenance facilities — have led to train cancellations or frequency reductions, shortened train consists, and other operating impacts [see “Delayed return of ‘Cascades’ to Canada shows Amtrak employment challenges: Analysis,” News Wire, May 19, 2022].
I went to the Amtrak Careers site and for “agreement jobs” (their category) got the following:
There are currently no open positions matching this category or location.
Receive emails by subscribing to jobs matching Agreement Jobs when they are posted.
Who is kidding whom? “agreement jobs” include engineers and conductors.
They ARE looking for an engineer in Philadelphia:
Responsible for the project management, design preparation and review of structural and civil engineering projects and studies to repair, rehabilitate or construct railroad bridges, facilities and stations.
Looks like they did the same thing the railroads did, laid off far to many who have now found out its better working at home town and getting 8 hours sleep every night.
“Johore” yikes. Let’s try hiring events. Sorry about that.
They had a Johore event up here in Rensselaer, NY. They posted the notice on Tuesday 16th for a event on Wednesday the 17th. It also was by inviting only. So no I don’t think this is going to help them.
If Congress was on top of its long neglected oversight and holding Amtrak’s feet to the fire, such an artificially induced staffing shortage would have been avoided. But then, promotions assuring entrenchment and self-serving bonuses would not have happened.
Instead of Biden plotting with Schumer and Coscia to ship illegals via Amtrak, despite a severe shortage of equipment, Congress should insist on the Biden Administration coming up with recommendations to fulfill the neglected Board with a level of experience and competence long missed.
Ideally, with a Board composition similar to other major firms, the Board should work with Congress to develop a program to identify leadership appropriate for senior and corporate management at Amtrak; to provide a level of leadership long missing from Amtrak since the days of Reistrup, Claytor, and Gunn; to certainly ensure Amtrak avoid the plethora of operational issues created by the current team of “Sad Sack on rails.”
Good luck to any employer now a days with so many young people being diagnosed with ADHD & autism most of whom go directly on to SS disability.
What a joke, $21 an hour to be away from home. I can make that much driving a school bus and I can be home every night.
I’d take a job and even was invited to interview, but 25 years in freight well…I can’t be on the bottom of a new roster when so close to retirement.
As far as I know Amtrak is no longer requiring the jab.
I would if anything shows up near me around KC, but I’m not because I not getting the jab. So that another reason they are having trouble getting people
Oh, are we talking about the jab?
I’m jabbed (3x Pfizer) but I’m more and more sympathetic to those who refuse, some of whom I know and respect.
It would be interesting to know how many flunk their drug tests and get cut. This is a nationwide problem today. One of the reasons for so many job vacancies. The elephant in the room!
it is simple. This posting for hiring events is 10-1/2 months late. Should have started OCT 1st beginning of new fiscal year.
You’re right — 7/8 run with fwere cars than used to be the case.
It sounds good. I hope they find the 4000 new employees and get full consists for the long distance trains. Sad to think how much revenue Amtrak lost this summer for skimpy consists. For example, sleeper space on the Empire Builder was non existent this summer. Sad
Skimpy consists for LD trains has more to do with lack of serviceable equipment than it did onboard service employees. As far as the above goes, take note of this: Starting pay of $21/hr for onboard service positions is LESS than the TSA, which happens to be the lowest paid government department.