William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News
Study Highlights Economic Impact of New York-New Jersey Port Operations and Infrastructure Investments
EDISON, N.J. — The Port Industry of New York and New Jersey supported nearly 580,000 jobs, generated approximately $18.1 billion in tax revenue, and was responsible for $57.8 billion in personal income and $163.7 billion in business income across the region during 2024, according to an economic impact study released in 2025 by the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey.
BY THE NUMBERS
✅ 580,000 jobs supported
✅ $18.1 billion in tax revenue generated
✅ $57.8 billion in personal income
✅ $163.7 billion in business income
✅ 8.7 million TEUs handled
✅ 410,000 vehicles processed
✅ 36.1 million tons of bulk cargo
✅ 2.4 million cruise passengers
✅ 331 cruise vessel calls
The report examines two major streams of economic activity generated by the region’s port industry: the ongoing value created by international cargo and passenger operations during 2024 and the impact of hundreds of millions of dollars invested in port-related infrastructure between 2020 and 2024. It also evaluates the effect of billions of dollars in additional investments anticipated during the next five years.
Although the post-pandemic surge in cargo volumes has moderated since the 2022 Economic Impact Assessment, changing global shipping patterns and supply chain disruptions continue to affect international commerce. Despite those challenges, the economic value generated by operations at the Port of New York and New Jersey has continued to grow.
The Port of New York and New Jersey remains the largest container port on the East Coast and the third-largest port in the United States. The study found that cruise passenger traffic increased during 2024, while the region’s industrial and warehouse footprint continued to expand as millions of square feet of logistics space were added and occupied.
The analysis was conducted by the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT), which assessed the port’s impact across a 31-county region spanning New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The study also evaluated economic benefits generated statewide in both New York and New Jersey.
The report represents the latest installment in an economic impact series issued by the Shipping Association, with support and input from port partners, for more than a decade.
“The Port’s role in driving economic prosperity has been made possible through 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 the 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.”
According to the study, the port industry directly employs 277,800 workers and supports an additional 302,200 indirect and induced jobs. Combined, those figures represent a notable increase from the 563,700 jobs supported by port operations in 2022.
“The growth of the New York-New Jersey port industry continues to fuel the economic engine of the region, generating more than 16,000 additional jobs compared with our 2022 report,” said John Nardi, president of the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey.
2024 Port Activity
During 2024, the region’s maritime facilities handled:
- Nearly 8.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containerized cargo
- More than 410,000 vehicles
- Nearly 68,000 tons of breakbulk cargo
- Approximately 36.1 million tons of bulk cargo
- 331 cruise vessel calls
- Nearly 2.4 million cruise passengers
“These extraordinary numbers underscore the Port of New York and New Jersey’s critical role as a cornerstone of the regional economy, supporting 580,000 jobs, generating billions in income, and producing significant tax revenues that benefit communities across three states,” said Bethann Rooney, port director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Rooney credited the port’s sustained success to cooperation among public agencies, private operators, and supply chain partners.
“This scale of impact is only possible because of the unique collaborative spirit we’ve built with partners across the supply chain,” Rooney said. “Together, we’ve proven our ability to adapt to new challenges while continuing to lay the foundation for a busier, more resilient, and more sustainable future at the port.”
The study notes that the 2024 economic impact assessment provides a snapshot of the port industry’s contributions in employment, personal income, business income, and tax revenue. Those benefits are ongoing as port operations continue to generate jobs and economic activity throughout the region.
Researchers concluded that major investments made during the past five years, along with those planned during the next five years, are expected to support continued growth, strengthen supply chain resilience, and sustain the port’s long-term economic impact across the Northeast.
CNBNews Editor’s Note: The Port of New York and New Jersey serves as a critical economic gateway for the region, including South Jersey businesses involved in logistics, warehousing, trucking, distribution, construction, manufacturing, and international trade. The study’s findings underscore the port’s continuing role as one of the most important economic engines on the East Coast.
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