The Port of Seattle is experiencing a jobs crisis courtesy of President Donald Trump’s economic policies.
Dispatcher Sarah Esch faced a grim reality on a recent Monday morning: 70 available shifts for 600 waiting workers, The New York Times reported Monday night.
“Those numbers aren’t great,” she told the outlet.
Trump’s tariff blitz has transformed the once-stable longshoreman career into an economic minefield. Shipping container traffic through Seattle and Tacoma has plummeted in double digits since August compared to 2024. There was no pre-Christmas rush.
“When China is sending fewer goods into the United States, that hurts. And when other countries aren’t buying soybeans from farmers in the Midwest, we feel that too,” said Sam Cho, a Port of Seattle commissioner. “We’re feeling it all right now.”
The consequences have proven dire for longshoremen. Over the winter, there were barely enough jobs for top-level workers, let alone mid-tier and entry-level positions.
“Oh, it all sucks,” said Antonio Cappiello, a top-level worker. “You just can’t predict from week to week or month to month what your take-home will be.”
Casual workers are now regularly told there’s “no work.”
Matt Mirante, 31, a longtime casual, told The Times, “It’s just an everyday disappointment right now.” Over the past three months, he’s worked just seven shifts. Similarly, Abegail Contreras, also a longtime casual, has gotten just four shifts in the last month.
Esch, who spent years clawing her way up from casual, now questions her industry, which also faces upheaval from possible automation.
“I just don’t know what the future looks like,” she said. “Is there one?”
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