Number of the Day
The Global Supply Chain’s Stranded Workers, by the Numbers
The pandemic has left merchant sailors stuck at sea for months longer than they anticipated
250,000: That’s the number of seafaring shipping workers stuck at sea for extended periods because of Covid-19 restrictions, potentially causing further disruptions to fraying global supply chains, according to the International Chamber of Shipping, per Bloomberg.
The supply chains linking the global economy have been severely tested by the Covid-19 pandemic, with shuttered factories halting production, followed by massive lockdowns complicating demand. It’s a mess that could have lasting consequences: McKinsey estimates the aggregate losses stemming from supply chain disruption in the trillions of dollars.
But the latest wrinkle involves the industry that stitches supply chains together: the shipping business. The pandemic has made basic crew changes on the world’s roughly 55,000 cargo ships much more complicated. “A huge number of seafarers on merchant ships have been unable to disembark once their contracts have ended, facing excessive times at sea and away from home,” one major shipping firm reported.
