Water, water everywhere and lots of jobs to boot.

That’s the gist of a new report on the economic impact of the maritime industry in Washington State. The report spotlights the important role the maritime industry plays in the state’s economy, estimating that the sector generates $30 billion in total revenues and about 148,000 jobs.

Those numbers make maritime bigger than Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon or other large employers in the region. Not bad for an industry that traces its roots back more than 150 years to the earliest days of the state.

Earlier this year, Crosscut’s series on the commercial fishing industry stressed its importance to the regional economy. The new report was commissioned by the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County with support from the Puget Sound Regional Council. It estimates that fishing and seafood processing account for nearly 60 percent of the maritime industry’s revenues. Logistics and shipping was the second major maritime sector, accounting for another 25 percent of total revenues.

Read the full story at Crosscut>>