One of Pierce County's economic engines
Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation, with 40 percent of jobs related to international trade. The Port of Tacoma is considered one of the region's economic engines.
A study released in 2019 highlighted the economic impact of the Port's real estate and marine cargo operations in 2017:
- Supported more than 42,100 jobs
- Generated nearly $3 billion in labor income
- Produced more than $100 million annually in state and local taxes to support education, police, fire services and road improvements
Supporting 42,100 jobs
The analysis focused on direct, indirect and induced jobs:
- 14,450 direct jobs include trucking companies and railroads moving cargo to and from terminals and warehouses, longshore workers, steamship agents and freight forwarders.
- 27,650 indirect and Induced jobs include office supply firms, maintenance and repair firms, and parts and equipment suppliers. This number also includes jobs created by people directly employed by marine cargo operations re-spending their wages in the community on housing, food and other consumer goods.
If the farmers and manufacturers who ship products through the Port of Tacoma were factored in, the port’s activities reached 267,000 jobs overall in Washington.