As Port of Baltimore Gradually Reopens, JFI's Richard Clinch Expects a Return of Business
May 21, 2024
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Dr. Richard Clinch, executive director of the Jacob France Institute at The University of Baltimore, tells The Daily Record that job losses resulting from the closure of the Port of Baltimore following the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March have been less than expected. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for April show a loss of around 1,000 jobs.
"That seems very good," Clinch tells the newspaper. "I thought a complete shutdown of the port would impact a much larger number of jobs.”
JFI compiles data on businesses, public investment and the workforce. It is housed in UBalt's Merrick School of Business.
The Daily Record noted Clinch's assessment that the gradual reopening of the port may prompt a return of the shipping industry and related activity to Baltimore, although the timing of that return is unclear.
Read the latest assessment of the Port of Baltimore in The Daily Record.
Read more analysis from University of Baltimore experts about the loss of the Key Bridge.