Jobs at largest US port down by half amid tariff tensions: media

Jobs at the Port of Los Angeles, the largest and busiest port in the United States, are down by half as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs cripple trade with Asia-Pacific, local media reported on Saturday.

Over the last 25 work shifts, only 733 jobs were available for 1,575 longshoremen looking for work, Los Angeles Times reported, citing Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, adding that the port processed 25 percent less cargo than forecast for May.

"They haven't been laid off, but they're not working nearly as much as they did previously," Seroka said. "Since the tariffs went into place, and in May specifically, we've really seen the work go off on the downside."

Seroka attributed the decrease in job opportunities to lower cargo volume moving through the port.

The Port of Los Angeles has ranked as the largest container port in the United States each year since 2000. In California alone, nearly 1 million jobs are related to trade through the port.