How To Build a Future-Ready Workforce Strategy in 2025
The logistics industry is evolving faster than ever—driven by e-commerce expansion, automation, and shifting global trade dynamics. Yet, companies are facing mounting workforce challenges, from persistent labor shortages to an aging talent pool and increasing demands for specialized skills. Are you prepared? Our 2025 Global 3PL Talent Report delivers the latest workforce insights to help logistics leaders attract, retain, and optimize top talent. Get ahead of the competition with key data on employment trends, hiring strategies, and the economic forces shaping the industry.
What's inside:
- The Logistics Labor Market Outlook – Explore key employment trends, job growth forecasts, and the lasting impact of e-commerce on hiring demand.
- Shifting Workforce Demographics – Discover the impact of an aging workforce, gender diversity, and how hiring strategies must evolve.
- The Rise of Nearshoring & Automation – How businesses are adapting to new economic and legislative realities, including nearshoring trends and the role of AI in logistics.
- Recruitment & Retention Strategies That Work – Practical steps to attract skilled talent, reduce turnover, and future-proof your workforce in a competitive landscape.
- What’s Next for 3PL Workforce Planning? – Expert insights on how to stay agile, overcome hiring challenges, and build a resilient, high-performing logistics team.
- The role of cybersecurity in protecting logistics networks.
- Autonomous vehicles, drones, and AI-driven freight brokerage – what’s next?
3PL TALENT REPORT
Labor
Demographics
I. Workforce Composition
The transportation and warehousing sector presents a distinct workforce composition, with men representing 74% of its labor force, as reported by Data USA. Despite its substantial workforce, the industry faces persistent labor shortages that pose significant operational challenges. In 2022 over 56% of third-party logistics providers and 78% of shippers reported that workforce shortages had negatively impacted their supply chain functions. Between 2022 and 2023, eight of the eleven transportation sub-sectors saw growth in employment. Air Transportation led with a notable 9.1% increase, and Water Transportation followed with an 8.0% rise. In contrast, the Warehousing and Storage sector experienced a significant workforce reduction of 5.2%—the largest annual drop recorded since 1990. Despite this decline, warehousing remains the largest employer among transportation sub-sectors, reflecting its central role in the logistics infrastructure.
3PL TALENT REPORT
Economic &
Legislative factors
The logistics sector is intricately linked to broader economic cycles, often reflecting shifts in consumer spending and broader economic health. In economic downturns, a decrease in consumer spending typically leads to reduced shipping volumes, which in turn impacts logistics employment. Additionally, factors such as inflation and fluctuating fuel costs significantly affect transportation expenses and hiring strategies. Despite these pressures, logistics remains a core component of supply chain continuity, maintaining efficiency even during challenging economic periods.
3PL TALENT REPORT
talent
Landscape
I. Job Satisfaction and Retention
Despite the logistics industry’s essential role in supporting economic and societal growth, it remains constrained by a traditional public image that no longer aligns with the sector’s evolving reality. Logistics is still widely seen as a physically demanding field dominated by manual labor, which can make it less appealing to many prospective workers. This outdated perception, characterizing logistics as labor-intensive and low-skill, is challenging to dismantle and continues to limit the industry’s attractiveness to a broader talent pool.
However, logistics companies are increasingly investing in technology and data expertise, which is gradually reshaping the sector’s appeal. The demand for IT and Data Management professionals is rising within logistics, and 16% of workers in the industry now consider these departments the most desirable areas to work in. This focus on digital and data-driven roles highlights the shift toward a more technologically advanced logistics landscape, appealing to individuals seeking intellectually engaging and impactful careers.
3PL TALENT REPORT
Economic &
Legislative factors
The logistics sector is intricately linked to broader economic cycles, often reflecting shifts in consumer spending and broader economic health. In economic downturns, a decrease in consumer spending typically leads to reduced shipping volumes, which in turn impacts logistics employment. Additionally, factors such as inflation and fluctuating fuel costs significantly affect transportation expenses and hiring strategies. Despite these pressures, logistics remains a core component of supply chain continuity, maintaining efficiency even during challenging economic periods.
Amid global economic challenges, rising costs of living are putting increased pressure on both consumers and businesses. According to the 2023 3PL Warehouse Benchmark Report, managing expenses has become a top priority for 3PLs, with 48% of respondents citing cost management as their primary concern for 2024. Operational costs, including those for facilities, labor, technology, equipment, and shipping, have risen steadily. Notably, warehouse rental rates have increased at a pace faster than inflation; by June 2023, prime warehouse rents were up by 11.8%, while labor costs grew by 7.4%, fueled by ongoing labor shortages.
3PL TALENT REPORT
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES
FOR ATTRACTING & DEVELOPING TOP TALENT
As job searches in the supply chain field yield lucrative results, with 3% of professionals nearly doubling their salaries and 76% finding employment within three months, logistics companies must adapt recruitment and retention strategies to stay competitive. Quick placements are also common for recent graduates, with 70% securing roles in under three months. To effectively attract and retain skilled talent, particularly in a field driven by technology and rapid growth, 3PL leaders should focus on the following strategic areas.
Showcasing Digital Initiatives Emphasize the company’s commitment to technology, AI, and automation to attract tech-savvy professionals.
Highlighting High-Impact RolesPresent emerging roles, such as automation specialists and data analysts, as exciting opportunities that appeal to diverse, forward-looking candidates.
