How much the dock workers’ strike stings turns on how long it goes, experts say

Some 45,000 dock workers went on strike Tuesday, idling ports from Florida to Texas, but the walkout’s impact on consumers and the larger economy hinges on how long it lasts.

A port strike lasting more than a week would likely drive up the cost of fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial Services, but it would take a walkout of three or four weeks for consumers to see price increases for such things as furniture, clothing and other nonperishables.

The economy would have little problem absorbing the effects of a short work stoppage, he said.

“It’s going to take a pretty...