School bus driver shortage persists as districts raise pay to compete for workers

School districts across the country continue to struggle to recruit and retain enough school bus drivers, forcing them to compete with other employers for a limited pool of qualified workers despite higher wages.School bus driver employment remained 9.5% below 2019 levels in August 2025, even as inflation-adjusted hourly wages rose 4.2% over the previous year, according to an Economic Policy Institute analysis. The employment figures are based on 12-month rolling averages of federal survey data.