Trade jobs in Southern California have jumped, but policy and labor challenges loom

Southern California has experienced a boost in trade and logistics employment in the last decade, but policy and labor challenges lie ahead, according to a new economic report. Trade-related jobs increased nearly 10% from 2005 to 2015, more than double the overall regional employment increase of 4.2%, the report released Monday by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found. Warehousing and logistics jobs led the charge, jumping 55.1% over the decade, said the report, titled "Trade & Logistics in Southern California." The growth came at a cost, however. Wages in warehousing dropped 9% during the period, compared with an increase of almost 3% in the industry overall, which includes the highly paid dockworkers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation's largest cargo complex.