Transportation & Warehousing
What is the economic impact of transportation and warehousing in San Joaquin County?
16.52%
Nearly one in six workers in San Joaquin County was employed in transportation and warehousing in 2022, indicating a clear sign of the sector’s dominant role in the local economy.
63,526
In 2022, 63,526 people were employed in transportation and warehousing in San Joaquin County, solidifying the sector as a pillar of the local economy and a key driver of regional job growth.
#1 Nationwide
In 2022, San Joaquin County attained the highest concentration of transportation and warehousing jobs in the nation, underscoring its pivotal role in the U.S. supply chain network.
Transportation & Warehousing
Comparative Employment Shares of the Transportation and Warehousing Sector
San Joaquin County has experienced a remarkable surge in transportation and warehousing employment over the past two decades, positioning itself as a leading logistics hub in Northern California. The sector’s share of total employment in the county rose from just over 5.48% in 2001 to nearly 16.52% by 2022 – far surpassing the state and national averages, which remained around 5.83% and 5.4%, respectively. This sharp increase reflects the county’s strategic investments in infrastructure, the growth of e-commerce, and its advantageous geographic location within the Northern California Megaregion. The trend underscores San Joaquin County’s evolving role in regional and national goods movement systems.
16.52%
Transportation and warehousing jobs accounted for 16.52% of total employment in San Joaquin County in 2022, which is triple the national average.
San Joaquin County’s Transportation & Warehousing Concentration Ratio
San Joaquin County’s transportation and warehousing sector has become increasingly concentrated over time, as reflected in its rising concentration ratio or location quotient (LQ)—a measure of industry concentration that compares the local share of employment in a sector to the national average. The LQ is calculated by dividing the percentage of local employment in a given sector by the percentage of national employment in the same sector. An LQ greater than 1 indicates higher local concentration than the national average. In San Joaquin County, the transportation and warehousing LQ more than doubled from 1.66 in 2001 to 3.06 in 2022, meaning the sector is now over three times more concentrated locally than in the U.S. overall. This trend highlights the County’s rapid emergence as a logistics hub, fueled by its strategic infrastructure, access to major freight corridors, and the accelerating demand for warehousing and distribution driven by e-commerce. In contrast, California’s statewide concentration ratio remained relatively stable at 1.08 in 2022.
3.06
San Joaquin County’s concentration ratio for transportation and warehousing reached 3.06 in 2022, indicating the sector is more than three times as concentrated locally as the national average.
TOP-10 Transportation & Warehousing counties in the USA by Share of Total Employment, 2022
San Joaquin County ranked #1 in the nation in 2022 for the share of total employment in the transportation and warehousing sector among all metropolitan areas. A larger portion of San Joaquin’s workforce is employed in this sector than in any other top logistics hubs, including San Bernardino (CA), Will County (IL), and Queens (NY). This distinction highlights the county’s critical role in national supply chains, driven by its central location, expansive infrastructure, and the rapid rise of e-commerce. Its workforce composition reflects a strong specialization in logistics and goods movement compared to peer regions across the country.
#1 Nationwide
In 2022, San Joaquin County led all U.S. metro areas in the share of jobs in transportation and warehousing, a clear sign of its dominance in the modern logistics economy.
Short Tonnage of Top 10 Commodities at Port of Stockton (2013–2022)
Between 2013 and 2022, the Port of Stockton experienced significant shifts in its current top 10 commodities by waterborne cargo short tonnage, which likely reflects broader economic trends and regional supply chain dynamics. This diversification in inbound and outbound cargo underscores the port’s adaptability and its strategic importance in accommodating fluctuating trade patterns and logistical challenges. Looking at the data, whereas iron and steel scrap recently jumped up 141,835 short tons in 2022, coal and lignite declined from a 2019 high of 2,104,061 short tons to a low of 355,521 short tons in 2022. Nitrogenous fertilizer saw a significant decline from 767,618 short tons in 2021 to 419,410 in 2022. With 1,321,716 short tons, cement and concrete represented the top commodity in terms of short tonnage in 2022.
2,954,758
Short tons of total tonnage (inbound, outbound, and local) passing through the Port of Stockton in 2024, down from 4,037,335 in 2023 and 4,944,378 in 2022. This is the total of all commodities, not a single top commodity.