Analysis of on-board Job Taking and Separation of Korean Merchant Seafarers

A stable supply of seafarers is an important issue for Korean maritime industries and related business activities. After four years of their role on a ship, Korean maritime officers are increasingly being separated from their fellow sailors. The present paper reviews the trend and characteristics in the separation rate of maritime officers, and examines the main factors affecting the separation rate through panel data models. The paper collects the panel data of maritime officers from 2007 to 2014. The main results of panel data models show us that the separation rate is affected mainly by the duration (period) after graduation. The unemployment rate in all industries and the relative wage level of seafarers affect negatively the separation rate. The dummy variable for the completion year of military services shows positive coefficients. We can conclude that the labour market of seafarers is affected by the employment situation in all industries.