The for-hire trucking industry’s employment numbers in May rallied following two months of slow or no growth, adding 8,600 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Department of Labor’s monthly employment report, released June 5.

The DOL also upwardly revised March and April’s numbers slightly.

The U.S. economy as a whole in the month added 280,000 nonfarm jobs, though the country’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point to 5.5 percent.

Total employment in the for-hire trucking industry now totals 1.4499 million and is close to surpassing its most recent peak, seen in January 2007. It’s now just 2.4 percent — just 3,500 jobs — shy of January 2007’s high mark of 1.4534 million.

Trucking employment is also 17.6 percent (216,700 jobs) higher than the most recent bottom in March 2010, 1.2379 million.

Total transportation and warehousing employment grew by 13,100 jobs in May, according to the DOL. Construction added 17,000 jobs, and manufacturing added 7,000. The government added 18,000 jobs, with the bulk of them (15,000) coming in the local government level.