Global data from more than 30,000 seafarers highlight strong career commitment while revealing important associations between wellbeing and workforce retention.
The maritime industry continues to face questions about how to attract and retain the skilled workforce it needs for the future. New findings from Re:fresh 2026 provide an encouraging picture of long-term career commitment among many seafarers, while also highlighting clear associations between health and wellbeing, employee engagement and intentions to remain in the profession.
Now in its tenth year, Re:fresh is one of the world’s largest studies of seafarer health and wellbeing, with more than 30,000 seafarers worldwide participating in 2026 and providing insights into health, wellbeing, working life and career intentions.
Strong commitment, but retention cannot be taken for granted
The findings indicate that many seafarers continue to see a long-term future at sea. Sixty per cent report no intention of leaving seafaring in the foreseeable future, while almost half expect to remain in the profession for more than ten years.
At the same time, a substantial proportion indicate some degree of intention to leave, ranging from considering departure to planning or actively preparing to move away from seafaring.
Financial considerations remain an important factor in maritime careers, but Re:fresh 2026 suggests that intentions to stay or leave are associated with a much broader set of experiences.
Wellbeing, stress and engagement closely associated with retention
One of the clearest patterns emerging from Re:fresh 2026 is the association between seafarers’ wellbeing, their experience of working at sea and their intention to remain in the profession.
Across the different measures, seafarers reporting better psychological wellbeing, lower stress and stronger employee engagement were considerably more likely to report no intention of leaving seafaring.
The difference is pronounced for psychological wellbeing. Among seafarers with good wellbeing according to the WHO-5 measure, 58% reported no intention of leaving seafaring, compared with 40% among those experiencing depressive symptoms. Among seafarers experiencing depressive symptoms, a larger proportion reported considering, planning or preparing to leave the profession.
Stress showed a similarly clear pattern. Among seafarers experiencing no or low stress, 65.5% reported no intention of leaving, compared with only 41% among highly stressed seafarers. Those reporting high stress were correspondingly more likely to indicate some degree of consideration, planning or preparation to leave the profession.
A particularly pronounced difference was observed in employee engagement and satisfaction. Among highly engaged seafarers, 68% reported no intention of leaving, compared with only 37% among those with low engagement. The pattern was even more pronounced among seafarers reporting the lowest levels of employee satisfaction, where only 25% reported no intention of leaving the profession. Together, these findings point to a strong association between seafarers’ experience of working life and whether they see a long-term future in the profession.
The same overall pattern can be seen when seafarers are asked how long they expect to remain at sea. Seafarers experiencing better wellbeing, lower stress and higher engagement are more likely to anticipate longer careers, while those experiencing poorer wellbeing, higher stress or lower engagement are more likely to envisage leaving earlier.
These findings suggest that retention is not solely a recruitment or manpower challenge. Workforce sustainability is closely connected to wellbeing, engagement and the overall experience of working and living at sea. If we want people to build long careers in seafaring, we also need to create the conditions that enable them to remain healthy, engaged and supported throughout those careers.
Female seafarers show strong long-term career commitment
Re:fresh 2026 also provides encouraging insights into the career intentions reported by female seafarers.
Approximately 80% of female respondents expect to remain in seafaring for at least another five years, including 45.3% who anticipate remaining for more than ten years. Overall, 66% report no intention of leaving seafaring in the foreseeable future.
The commitment is particularly notable among younger female respondents. Among those aged 18–24, 81.4% report no intention of leaving, while nearly 59% expect to remain in seafaring for more than ten years.
At the same time, the female data show substantial differences according to stress, satisfaction and engagement. Among female seafarers reporting no or low stress, 81% reported no intention of leaving the profession, compared with 56% among those reporting high stress.
An even stronger pattern emerges for employee satisfaction. Among female seafarers with high satisfaction scores, 90% reported no intention of leaving, while among those with lower levels of satisfaction and engagement, the proportion reporting no intention of leaving ranged from 39% to 60%.
Together, these findings suggest that the question is not only whether women can be attracted to maritime careers, but also what conditions will enable women to stay and build long-term careers at sea. The results reinforce the importance of manageable workloads, supportive leadership, psychological safety, equal opportunities and inclusive and respectful onboard environments.
Retention is also a health and wellbeing issue
The broader Re:fresh 2026 findings present a generally positive picture, with improvements across several health and wellbeing indicators compared with previous years. Yet fatigue, sleep and recovery remain important concerns, alongside physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, and related longer-term health risks.
Mental wellbeing is also associated with several dimensions of working life, including workload and psychosocial demands, social support, communication with home and onboard culture.
Taken together with the career-intention findings, the results point to an important message for the maritime industry: supporting seafarer health and wellbeing is not only a welfare issue. It is also a workforce sustainability issue.
Recruitment remains critical, but attracting people into seafaring is only part of the challenge. Re:fresh 2026 demonstrates clear associations between stress, psychological wellbeing, employee engagement and satisfaction, and whether seafarers see a future for themselves in the profession.
For shipping companies, the message is therefore not only about attracting people into seafaring, but about creating conditions that make people want to stay.
Investments in prevention, manageable workloads, fatigue and recovery, psychological wellbeing, supportive leadership, social connection, and healthy and inclusive onboard cultures should not be viewed in isolation. Together, they contribute to a working environment in which seafarers can remain healthy, engaged and able to sustain long careers.
The industry cannot look at recruitment, retention and seafarer wellbeing as separate challenges. The Re:fresh findings show how closely these areas are connected. Creating healthier, safer and more supportive working environments is not only an investment in the health of seafarers, but also in the long-term sustainability of the maritime workforce.