Growing jobs
Since 1927, the Port of Oakland has operated an international seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of commercial waterfront. These business lines were established to drive the regional economy while growing local jobs. This holds true more than ever today.
As part of the Port’s overall strategy to boost jobs, the Port hired a full-time Workforce Development Manager to work with local hiring agencies to connect workers with Port projects. The position also works to ensure that the Port complies with a Project Labor Agreement for the Oakland seaport and Oakland International Airport. This policy ensures that preference points are given to local, minority and women-owned businesses when working on major Port-related construction projects. In August 2018, the Port gave $70,000 to support the development of an eco-jobs workforce. The goal is to prepare workers for construction, energy efficiency, and solar industries.
The Port’s Seaport Logistics Complex will begin construction in mid-2019 at the former Oakland Army Base. Its accompanying jobs policy will provide hiring preferences for local and disadvantaged job seekers including military veterans, single parents, and the formerly incarcerated. The result will be hundreds of construction and permanent jobs in Oakland. At the same time, the Seaport Logistics Complex will provide the most efficient and cost-effective means of delivering cargo throughout the world.
Located in the heart of San Francisco Bay, Oakland International Airport (OAK) serves a growing region of almost 8 million – more than half of whom live and work in the East Bay. On an annual basis, OAK brings more than $4.5 billion into the local economy and employs over 8,000 local residents.
The Port recently commissioned an economic impact study that will show the Port’s economic and jobs footprint locally and nationally. This study will be released in early 2019. While Port projects, policies and partners may change from one year to the next, the Port’s overall mission as a job generator remains the same.
