Airlines have second highest monthly employee total in last 21 years

So, whats up with "Unexplained Absences" and "Staffing Shortages" causing all these delays and cancelled flights?

State of play: Airlines say they're straining to keep up in part because they don't have enough staff to deal with a surge in leisure travelers.

Yes, but: The airline industry had 751,165 employees as of April, according to the Department of Transportation, up from a pandemic low of 673,663 in November 2020.

That's the second-highest monthly total in the last 21 years, trailing only February 2020’s 753,382.

https://www.axios.com/2022/06/23/airline-delays-cancellations-united-american

https://archive.ph/yGUfw

https://www.transtats.bts.gov/Employment/

(interesting site, surprised that FedEx is a full third of the number)

https://archive.ph/4gMyY