World Maritime University warns of ‘severe crisis’ as half of seafarers eye exit within five years

The report, In Search of a Sea‑Life Balance in an Adverse Environment, commissioned by the Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS), draws on responses from 4,372 seafarers of 99 nationalities, making it one of the most comprehensive workforce snapshots in recent years.

Headline findings include very long working hours – an average 71 hours per week globally and 79 hours for US seafarers – widespread adjustment of work/rest records to mask breaches, and severely limited shore leave. Around one‑third of all respondents showed stress levels classed as “severe and potentially dangerous”, while nearly half of US seafarers reported poor mental wellbeing.      “The results of this report by WMU and OUIS indicate that the interlinked challenges of work‑life balance, income security, and fatigue affect seafarers’ well-being,” said WMU president Maximo Mejia. “Prioritising seafarers’ mental well-being and healthy working conditions is a necessity, as well as the way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the maritime workforce.”

Perhaps most alarming for owners and regulators is the impact on retention. Nearly half of all respondents indicated an intention to quit seafaring within the next five years. Among US seafarers, only 40.2% planned to stay at sea, with 65.3% of those preparing to leave reporting poor mental health.

The study also highlights deep frustration with safety management systems: 79% of US respondents said their SMS manuals were too long, 71% felt procedures did not reflect shipboard realities, and two‑thirds described paperwork as excessively time‑consuming.

OUIS executive director Nick Bramley said the findings show seafarers “are still confronted with major challenges in achieving a healthy and socially sustainable work/life balance”, warning that “a major change is required if the industry is to not only retain those experienced seafarers in whose training so much time has been invested, but also to recruit the next generation.”

The WMU is calling for urgent, evidence‑based action by regulators, owners and managers to cut administrative burdens, enforce realistic manning and rest, and embed human‑factors science in regulation – arguing that without this, shipping faces a recruitment and safety crisis.

Writing for Splash last week, Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, argued: “To attract a new demography, ships and systems must stop being designed for the seafarer of 1995. We face a recruitment and retention crisis because the social contract is outdated: 19th-century expectations wrapped in 21st-century technology. Until workload, shore leave, and cultural hostility toward diversity are addressed, any uptick in happiness is a hollow victory.”The report, In Search of a Sea‑Life Balance in an Adverse Environment, commissioned by the Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS), draws on responses from 4,372 seafarers of 99 nationalities, making it one of the most comprehensive workforce snapshots in recent years.

Headline findings include very long working hours – an average 71 hours per week globally and 79 hours for US seafarers – widespread adjustment of work/rest records to mask breaches, and severely limited shore leave. Around one‑third of all respondents showed stress levels classed as “severe and potentially dangerous”, while nearly half of US seafarers reported poor mental wellbeing.      “The results of this report by WMU and OUIS indicate that the interlinked challenges of work‑life balance, income security, and fatigue affect seafarers’ well-being,” said WMU president Maximo Mejia. “Prioritising seafarers’ mental well-being and healthy working conditions is a necessity, as well as the way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the maritime workforce.”

Perhaps most alarming for owners and regulators is the impact on retention. Nearly half of all respondents indicated an intention to quit seafaring within the next five years. Among US seafarers, only 40.2% planned to stay at sea, with 65.3% of those preparing to leave reporting poor mental health.

The study also highlights deep frustration with safety management systems: 79% of US respondents said their SMS manuals were too long, 71% felt procedures did not reflect shipboard realities, and two‑thirds described paperwork as excessively time‑consuming.

OUIS executive director Nick Bramley said the findings show seafarers “are still confronted with major challenges in achieving a healthy and socially sustainable work/life balance”, warning that “a major change is required if the industry is to not only retain those experienced seafarers in whose training so much time has been invested, but also to recruit the next generation.”

The WMU is calling for urgent, evidence‑based action by regulators, owners and managers to cut administrative burdens, enforce realistic manning and rest, and embed human‑factors science in regulation – arguing that without this, shipping faces a recruitment and safety crisis.

Writing for Splash last week, Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, argued: “To attract a new demography, ships and systems must stop being designed for the seafarer of 1995. We face a recruitment and retention crisis because the social contract is outdated: 19th-century expectations wrapped in 21st-century technology. Until workload, shore leave, and cultural hostility toward diversity are addressed, any uptick in happiness is a hollow victory.”The report, In Search of a Sea‑Life Balance in an Adverse Environment, commissioned by the Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS), draws on responses from 4,372 seafarers of 99 nationalities, making it one of the most comprehensive workforce snapshots in recent years.

Headline findings include very long working hours – an average 71 hours per week globally and 79 hours for US seafarers – widespread adjustment of work/rest records to mask breaches, and severely limited shore leave. Around one‑third of all respondents showed stress levels classed as “severe and potentially dangerous”, while nearly half of US seafarers reported poor mental wellbeing.      “The results of this report by WMU and OUIS indicate that the interlinked challenges of work‑life balance, income security, and fatigue affect seafarers’ well-being,” said WMU president Maximo Mejia. “Prioritising seafarers’ mental well-being and healthy working conditions is a necessity, as well as the way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the maritime workforce.”

Perhaps most alarming for owners and regulators is the impact on retention. Nearly half of all respondents indicated an intention to quit seafaring within the next five years. Among US seafarers, only 40.2% planned to stay at sea, with 65.3% of those preparing to leave reporting poor mental health.

The study also highlights deep frustration with safety management systems: 79% of US respondents said their SMS manuals were too long, 71% felt procedures did not reflect shipboard realities, and two‑thirds described paperwork as excessively time‑consuming.

OUIS executive director Nick Bramley said the findings show seafarers “are still confronted with major challenges in achieving a healthy and socially sustainable work/life balance”, warning that “a major change is required if the industry is to not only retain those experienced seafarers in whose training so much time has been invested, but also to recruit the next generation.”

The WMU is calling for urgent, evidence‑based action by regulators, owners and managers to cut administrative burdens, enforce realistic manning and rest, and embed human‑factors science in regulation – arguing that without this, shipping faces a recruitment and safety crisis.

• Writing for Splash last week, Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, argued: “To attract a new demography, ships and systems must stop being designed for the seafarer of 1995. We face a recruitment and retention crisis because the social contract is outdated: 19th-century expectations wrapped in 21st-century technology. Until workload, shore leave, and cultural hostility toward diversity are addressed, any uptick in happiness is a hollow victory.”