Stevedores

Revenue in the global stevedoring and marine cargo handling sector is expected to grow from $10.91 billion in 2023 to $14.07 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. The market research and consulting firm says that "market growth is attributed to the continued expansion of global trade and the increasing volume of cargo transported via sea. With the rise of e-commerce, globalization, and expanding international trade agreements, there is an increasing demand for efficient port and cargo handling services."

The employment outlook for stevedoring workers varies by profession, but, in general, it is expected to be good in coming years—and certain large ports will experience strong growth and require larger numbers of specialized workers.

Job opportunities for tank car, truck, and ship loaders are expected to increase by 4 percent (as fast as the average for all careers) from 2023 through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Global shipping volume is increasing, and operators will be needed to load and unload large cargo ships. Employment of crane and tower operators in water transportation is projected to grow by 4 percent through 2033. Employment of hoist and winch operators in water transportation is projected to increase 1.3 percent through 2033. This is more slowly than the average for all careers.

Increasing retirement among union members will assure a certain number of new jobs each year. Also, to remedy labor disagreement problems at smaller ports, union officials have devised a travel plan for longshore workers in smaller ports who have decided to work at bigger ports whenever positions are available.

The trends toward automated materials-handling processes and containerizing cargo are well established. In the future, fewer people may be hired for manual loading and unloading tasks, and the stevedoring workforce will probably be highly skilled, well trained, and will consist mostly of full-time workers.