Yes it does. The use of the word plunge is very much not matter of fact, and connotes that the decrease is faster and/or greater than would normally be expected. Again, nuclear fireball is a perfectly accurate description of the sun, but what matters is the first thing that pops into someone's mind when they hear it described that way. The title could have easily been rephrased to be mundane and matter of fact, for example as "Shipping rates decreased 60% year over year as industry moves past pandemic"
That you might be able to make it even more clickbait-y does not make the current headline not-clickbait.
> The use of the word plunge is very much not matter of fact
No. The word has a well defined meaning in an economic context and is used regularly per that definition. You can't get any more matter of fact. If it was something like "Ocean shipping rates have jumped off a cliff without a parachute towards its impending fiery death this year" you'd have a stronger case.
> and connotes that the decrease is faster and/or greater than would normally be expected.
No. It only connotes that it happened quickly. There is no association to expectation colloquially or by definition. A 60% decline in eight months is fast compared to historical norms regardless of whether or not it was expected. That the decline was fast is worthwhile information to communicate.
> Again, nuclear fireball is a perfectly accurate description of the sun
Accurate, but abnormal usage. This is incomparable to the common usage of plunge. A better analogy would be the headline: "Sun to light up San Francisco tomorrow". To "light up" could mean to set on fire. But, given the clear context and regular usage of the words, it's a stretch to think people would be tricked into clicking the link because they think SF will be ablaze.
> "Shipping rates decreased 60% year over year as industry moves past pandemic"
Thing is, had you been compelled to read the article you would have known that shipping rates decreased by more than 73% year over year. Given that the headline didn't compel you to read the article we have further evidence of it not being clickbait.
That you might be able to make it even more clickbait-y does not make the current headline not-clickbait.