U.S.  airlines reduced the number of full-time employees on their payrolls during September, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 4.4 percent fewer workers in September 2009 than in September 2008, the 15th consecutive decrease from the same month of the previous year.

The September workforce total of 380,014 for the scheduled passenger carriers was 17,380 below September 2008 and the lowest total for any month since 1993.

All the network airlines decreased employment from September 2008 to September 2009 as did low-cost carriers Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Regional carriers American Eagle, SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Comair, Atlantic Southeast, Pinnacle Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, and Colgan Air also reported reduced employment levels compared to last year.

The seven network airlines employed 254,866 full-time workers in September, 67.1 percent of the passenger airline total, while low-cost carriers employed 16.4 percent and regional carriers employed 14.7 percent.

American Airlines employed the most workers in September among the network airlines, Southwest Airlines employed the most among low-cost airlines, and American Eagle had the biggest payroll among regional airlines.

Seven of the top 10 employers in the industry are network airlines. The number of employees at the seven network airlines decreased five percent in September 2009 compared to September 2008, the 13th consecutive monthly decrease from the same month of the previous year.  The network airlines employed 13,550 fewer FTEs in September 2009 than in September 2008.

Within the group, all network carriers lost workers from September 2008 to September 2009: Northwest Airlines, 12 percent; United Airlines, seven percent; Alaska Airlines, five percent; Continental Airlines, four percent; American, four percent;  US Airways, four percent; and Delta Air Lines, two percent.

The low-cost airline workforce decreased 0.1 percent in September from September 2008, the second monthly decrease following five months of monthly employment increases.

Regional airline employment was down 5.7 percent in September 2009 compared to September 2008, the 13th consecutive month with a decline from the same month of the previous year.