The port industry in New York and New Jersey supported 580,000 jobs, generated $57.8 billion in personal income, and contributed $163.7 billion in business activity during 2024, according to a new economic impact study released by the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey.
The study was conducted by the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) and examined the economic influence of port operations across a 31-county region covering parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, as well as New York City and eastern Pennsylvania.
Within New Jersey specifically, the port sector accounted for 232,000 direct jobs and a total of 480,000 jobs statewide. The industry also brought in nearly $47 billion in personal income, close to $130 billion in business activity, and $5.2 billion in local and state tax revenues.
The report also noted that public and private investments into port-related infrastructure from 2020 to 2024 reached hundreds of millions of dollars. An additional $3.7 billion is expected to be invested over the next five years.
According to the findings, cargo movements have returned to pre-pandemic patterns but are now affected by factors such as international conflicts and trade negotiations. Despite these challenges, the economic value created by international cargo and passenger activities at the Port of New York and New Jersey has grown since 2022.
Employment numbers have risen as well: “The port industry employs 277,800 workers and supports another 302,200 indirect and induced jobs for a total of 580,000 jobs throughout the 31-county region,” according to the study. This represents an increase of more than 16,000 jobs compared to two years ago.
In terms of operational scale during 2024, regional maritime facilities processed almost 8.7 million containers measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), handled over 410,000 vehicles, managed nearly 68,000 tons of breakbulk cargo alongside more than 36 million tons of bulk cargo, hosted 331 cruise vessels with nearly 2.4 million passengers.
“The Port’s role in driving economic prosperity has been made possible through the significant multimodal investments—past, present, and planned—from both the public and private sectors,” said Anne Strauss-Wieder, Senior Freight and Logistics Researcher at Rutgers CAIT and lecturer at Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
“These investments, along with strong collaboration, coordination, and communication among the port’s partners, customers, and suppliers have enabled the port to grow and sustain its position as a key international trade gateway,” Strauss-Wieder added.
Bethann Rooney from the Port Authority emphasized that this data highlights how important these facilities are for supporting local economies: she described it as “the cornerstone of the regional economy.”
The Port of New York and New Jersey remains both the largest container operation on the East Coast as well as third largest nationwide.
