China is a large and, more
importantly, growing supply source of seafarers. It maintains its position as the
second-largest supplier of seafarers to international merchant shipping,
accounting for around 11% of the total sea-based workforce. The supply of officers is growing and although domestic flagged
vessels are the biggest employer, officers are increasingly found in
international employment on all vessel types. For candidates considering a
career at sea in ratings ranks, the employment market within mainland China
remains strong. Combined with growth of the Chinese economy, there is a robust
demand for skilled labour, which competes directly with the option of work at
sea. This has led to higher-than-usual pay increases for ratings where employers
have to compete not just with other options at sea but also the on-shore
demand.
The
strong wage growth rate is clearly visible in the dry sector (see chart), where
Chinese growth rate has exceeded 5%. However, wage increases can be
significantly different between sectors and seafarer ranks, and between
nationalities. A detailed analysis of these is available in our report.