Technology upgrades are often seen as a threat to jobs, but a new report on British Columbia’s ports challenges that assumption, finding that modernization has helped drive workforce growth alongside increased cargo volumes.

The study found that B.C. ports added about 3,600 workers between 2009 and 2025 as shipment volumes increased.

The report was commissioned by the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), who were looking to discover the effects of technological change on the workforce.

“The goal was simple: establish an evidence-based view of how B.C.’s waterfront has evolved during a period of significant investment and technological change,” Rob MacKay-Dunn, vice-president of government and public affairs with BCMEA told PeopleNX in an email exchange.

“Too often, conversations about technology on the waterfront start with assumptions about what automation means for jobs. So, we commissioned KPMG to look at the evidence and see what modernization has meant for Canada’s West Coast ports and the waterfront workforce.”

What role did technology play on workers?

The report, Technology, Training & Job Growth at Canada’s West Coast Ports, 2009 to 2025, examined three modernization projects to assess how new technology and infrastructure affected capacity, operations and staffing, MacKay-Dunn said.

Three sites were highlighted: DP World Centerm in Vancouver, GCT Deltaport in Delta, B.C. and Neptune Bulk Terminals’ Allison Project in North Vancouver.

The level of growth the study showed was surprising to MacKay-Dunn. “Enabled by investments in technology and growth in cargo volumes, the active waterfront workforce increased by about 70 per cent since 2009, while payroll hours rose 83 per cent, from approximately 4.9 million to 9 million.”

“That is more workers, working more hours, alongside investment in technology and growth in cargo volumes,” he said.

The value of cargo handled reached $409 billion, or about $1.1 billion a day, according to the BCMEA.

Well paid jobs boosted

The number of employed forepersons nearly doubled, which also translated into an increase in salary for all workers.

“In 2025, median earnings reached a record $162,521 for union longshore workers and $273,936 for forepersons,” MacKay-Dunn said.

The rise in supervisory positions illustrated “the scale and complexity of today’s waterfront operations,” he said.

“Higher cargo volumes and more technology-enabled terminals require more coordination and oversight. That demand has nearly doubled the foreperson workforce, up 95 per cent province-wide between 2009 and 2025, reflecting a significant expansion in supervisory capacity.”

KPMG looked at various types of upgrades that were implemented, such as “remote and semi-automated cranes, automated truck gates, optical character recognition for container identification; automated operating permissives, sensor-based safety systems and digital planning and control systems,” MacKay-Dunn said.

Moving away from American trade

Such technologies can improve efficiency, potentially helping Canada reduce its reliance on U.S. trade.

“The KPMG report shows how targeted modernization can unlock additional capacity, often within existing terminal footprints. Continued investment in infrastructure and technology, backed by workforce training and skills development, will be fundamental to growing trade and keeping Canada competitive in global markets,” he said.

The federal government has pledged to double exports to markets outside the United States by 2035. In order to help achieve this goal, more training is needed for waterfront workers and the BCMEA is looking to expand upon its more than 200 training programs it offers each year.

“Since 2010, waterfront employers have invested more than $377 million in training and upskilling, including wages, capital expenditures and program delivery. That includes more than $45 million at our world-class BCMEA Waterfront Training Centre, where workers train on full-scale equipment and modern simulators in a controlled environment, away from active production,” MacKay-Dunn said.

The boost in training also coincided with a deal to help affected employees find new work if technology pushes them out of their jobs, he explained.

“In addition to a retiring allowance, there is a long-standing collective agreement provision that was negotiated to provide training or retraining to affected longshore workers who have the ability and aptitude to transition into other work.”

“This can provide workers with additional skills and qualifications to pursue other opportunities across the waterfront as technology and operational requirements evolve,” MacKay-Dunn said.

Boost to safety on the job

The modernization effects have also provided greater overall safety to workers including less lost-time due to injuries by 47 per cent at GCT Deltaport.

“For example, remote operations have moved some workers from equipment cabs into climate-controlled control rooms. Platform trucks have eliminated the need for workers to climb onto rail cars, and automated safety systems stop equipment when someone is in a designated hazard area. That means less exposure to moving machinery and fall hazards, and roles that are less physically demanding.”

At that port, more than 130 hazards were addressed when “it added automated safety stops, RFID tracking, integrated cameras and collision-avoidance technology,” he said.

BCMEA is a group that represents 48 private-sector waterfront employers. It was founded as the Shipping Federation of British Columbia in 1912.