Highest earnings in the EU's blue economy sector are found in energy, shipbuilding, and transportation industries
The EU Blue Economy Observatory has released a comprehensive analysis, shedding light on the remuneration and attractiveness of various sectors within the blue economy. The study reveals a significant divide in wages across these sectors, with some offering competitive salaries and better job prospects, while others lag behind.
The blue economy encompasses seven key sectors: Coastal tourism, Marine non-living resources, Marine living resources, Marine renewable energy, Maritime transport, Port activities, and Shipbuilding and repair.
The marine living resources sector, which includes traditional fisheries, accounts for 2.5% of the blue economy workforce. However, salaries in most activities within this sector are lower, reflecting its labor-intensive nature and lower skill level. By contrast, sectors like coastal tourism and traditional fisheries offer limited pay, insecure contracts, and fewer training opportunities.
On the other hand, sectors such as marine renewable energy, shipbuilding, and certain maritime transport and port activities demonstrate significantly higher wages. This disparity can be attributed to the skill level and complexity of the work involved in these sectors.
Several factors influence job attractiveness and wage levels. Skill level plays a significant role, with higher-skilled sectors like marine renewables and shipbuilding paying well above the national average. Job safety, seasonality, geographical wage variations, and economic factors also shape wage levels across the blue economy.
Coastal tourism and fisheries typically involve seasonal work, limiting full-time income opportunities and job stability. National minimum wage differences and cost of living significantly impact wage levels, with Western and Northern European countries offering better pay due to higher minimum wages and productivity.
The analysis also revealed that sectors with high accident rates do not necessarily provide wage premiums, often paying only the national average. Job safety, therefore, does not guarantee higher wages in the blue economy.
Each sector within the blue economy groups different economic activities, with Marine living resources having the most sub-sectors (12). Wage differences across countries reflect differences in both the national cost of living and internal training, innovation, and hiring practices.
Examples of low-paying jobs include those in accommodation (coastal tourism) in Germany and the Netherlands, shellfish aquaculture in Belgium, and capture fisheries in Cyprus. On the other hand, high-paying jobs can be found in sectors like the extraction of crude petroleum in the Netherlands, natural gas extraction in Poland, and warehousing and storage in ports in Ireland.
Europe needs targeted policies beyond just wages to fill labor shortages and attract skilled talent to the blue economy. These disparities highlight the urgency for coordinated policy efforts to upskill local workforces and invest in more equitable hiring systems.
References: [1] EU Blue Economy Observatory (2021). Job attractiveness and remuneration in seven blue economy sectors. [2] European Commission (2020). Minimum Wages in the European Union. [3] European Trade Union Confederation (2019). Wages and Incomes in Europe. [4] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2018). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture.
- The marine renewable energy, shipbuilding, and certain maritime transport and port activities sectors, known for their complexity and skill level, offer significantly higher wages compared to the marine living resources sector, which is labor-intensive and lower in skill level.
- Europe's coastal tourism and traditional fisheries sectors, often characterized by seasonal work, limited pay, insecure contracts, and fewer training opportunities, continue to lag behind in wage levels compared to sectors like marine renewables and shipbuilding.
- Despite sectors with high accident rates not necessarily providing wage premiums, Europe needs targeted policies beyond just wages, including upskilling local workforces and investing in more equitable hiring systems, to address labor shortages and attract skilled talent to the blue economy.
