Oakland maritime activities support thousands of regional jobs Oakland, Calif.  - The Port of Oakland hailed today the men and women who have served as U.S. merchant mariners and the significant contribution the shipping industry makes to the US economy on National Maritime Day. “We thank the mariners who travel the seas, our business partners who invest in Oakland, and the dock workers, truckers and railroad employees who make our thriving maritime business possible,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle. Oakland Seaport activities support nearly 40 percent of the more than 73,000 regional jobs generated by all Port of Oakland activities. One thousand containers moving through the Port of Oakland represents eight direct jobs.  The numbers on a national scale are enormous. According to the American Association of Port Authorities, America's seaports support 23.1 million jobs; annually generate more than $321 billion in federal, state, and local taxes; and account for over a quarter of the U.S. economy. The Port of Oakland is investing in the future of shipping with a series of projects that will deliver capacity and boost Oakland’s competitiveness among West Coast ports. These include doubling the size of a marine terminal, constructing a 280,000-square foot Cool Port – a state-of-the-art refrigerated cargo storage and transfer facility, and developing the first 27 acres of a Seaport Logistics Complex that will attract additional imports and exports. All of these efforts in support of maritime business help generate more economic activity and jobs for Oakland and the region.