Port of Skagit Continues Strong Employment at Facilities

Employment at Port of Skagit properties is up 9.4 percent compared to fall quarter of 2016, according to a report presented to the port’s Board of Commissioners last month. Port tenants reported a total of 1,409 employees in the Third Quarter Employment Census completed in October.

The semiannual job census, compiled by port staff, showed port tenants employed 1,314 people in full-time jobs during the quarter. Part-time employment grew as well, from 117 jobs during fall of 2016 to 190 now, the census also revealed.

“This is exciting news for our community and confirms our commitment to provide sustainable wage jobs,” said Patsy Martin, executive director of the Port of Skagit.

The strongest employment growth took place in the port’s Bayview Business Park with the port’s 42 tenants there adding 84 full-time jobs since last fall. Team Industrial added 43 full-time jobs during the period and Hexcel Corp. and The Truss Co. each added 22 full-time jobs. In addition, the port attracted four new tenants in the past year, bringing in a total of 27 new full-time jobs.

The total number of Port tenants is 85. The number of tenants and sub-tenants at Port-owned properties is as follows:

·         Bayview Business Park, 42;

·         Skagit Regional Airport, 25;

·         La Conner Marina, 17;

·         Conwayindustrial site: 1.

The Port of Skagit also asked the tenants to report their employees by zip code in order to get a picture of where their workers live, pay taxes, shop and use public services.  Here is the breakdown of the 691 workers who live in the Skagit Port District, by commissioner district:

·         District 1 (Mount Vernon and Conway) – 298 people

·         District 2 (Burlington, Bow, La Conner) – 267 people

·         District 3 (Sedro-Woolley and east) – 198 people

An additional 538 workers live in the Anacortes Port District or outside Skagit County.