Revisiting the Shortage of Seafaring Officers: Insights from Chinese and Philippine Statistics

This paper analyses statistical data on Chinese and Filipino seafarers released by their respective maritime authorities. The analysis suggests a mismatch in the market - an oversupply of cadets and junior officers coupled with a shortage of senior officers. This mismatch is underpinned by two structural issues in the labour market. Firstly, the occupational structure means that ships are likely to be manned by equal numbers of junior and senior officers. However, due to attrition, there are not enough junior officers in the industry to allow them to progress to senior ranks. Secondly, nationality segmentation creates a glass ceiling for seafarers from certain developing countries. This restricts their chances of progressing to senior roles, resulting in a large number of junior officers who appear to be in this position permanently. To develop a sustainable maritime workforce, it is essential that these issues are looked into and addressed.