[COVER STORY] Labor rigidity hinders Korean shipbuilders' ability to take more orders

Korean shipbuilders are struggling to expand production capacity despite order books stretching years ahead because labor-market rigidity makes rapid hiring difficult. China is expanding capacity and winning a larger share of global orders, raising concerns about Korea’s competitiveness. Industry experts called for more flexible employment rules, improved working conditions, foreign-worker access and earlier investment in next-generation vessels.

Employment in Korea’s shipbuilding industry fell 44 percent between 2014 and 2024, and skilled workers accounted for about 28 percent of shipyard employees in 2024.

China secured 63 percent of global newbuilding orders by compensated gross tonnage last year, compared with Korea’s 21 percent.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering had 526 vessels worth about $75.6 billion on order as of late August, while Hanwha Ocean had 144 vessels and other units worth $33.9 billion as of the end of July.

Korean shipbuilders are short of experienced welders, painters and pipefitters, while younger workers remain deterred by concerns about working conditions and job security.

Experts identified floating data centers for artificial intelligence infrastructure, green vessels and autonomous ships as next-generation markets requiring earlier research and development investment.

Published Oct 19, 2026 12:42 pm KST

Chinese rivals gain ground with more flexible workforce management

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the naming ceremony of the TS State of Maine vessel at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Aug. 27, 2025. Yonhap

Korean shipbuilders are struggling to expand production capacities despite order books stretching years ahead. Their main struggle is not about technology or infrastructure, but labor.

They need to hire workers quickly enough to scale up and capitalize on additional orders, but they say Korea's inflexible employment practices, combined with the industry's cyclical nature, are complicating workforce planning: Hiring aggressively during a boom can leave shipbuilders with excess labor costs when orders decline, making them cautious about expanding their permanent workforce.

Graphic by Cho Sang-won

While they are struggling with the rigid labor arrangements, Chinese rivals are rapidly ramping up capacity. Domestic industry officials worry that China's expanding shipbuilding experience could erode Korea's technological edge as Chinese shipyards build more vessels and hone their technical capabilities.

“As shipbuilding is a cyclical industry with large swings between booms and downturns, flexibility is needed to adjust production capacity in line with market conditions,” an industry official said on condition of anonymity.

“Despite sufficient demand at present, Korean shipbuilders are finding it difficult to expand production capacity quickly because of rigidity in the labor market, limiting their ability to take on additional orders.”

The labor constraints reflect a longer-term decline in the industry's workforce. The OECD said in an April 2026 report that employment in Korea's shipbuilding industry fell 44 percent between 2014 and 2024, with skilled workers accounting for about 28 percent of shipyard employees in 2024.

“This goes beyond the problems of individual companies and is directly linked to the competitiveness of Korea’s shipbuilding industry in winning orders,” the official added.

He said Chinese shipbuilders had gained an advantage through more flexible workforce management and rapid expansion of their production capacity, allowing them to respond more quickly to changes in demand and secure additional orders during upturns.

The concerns come as Chinese shipbuilders continue to dominate the global market.

According to Clarkson Research Services’ data, China secured 63 percent of global newbuilding orders by compensated gross tonnage (CGT) last year, compared with Korea's 21 percent. China also accounted for more than half of global ship deliveries measured in CGT that year, according to the OECD.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering had 526 vessels on its orderbook as of late August, valued at about $75.6 billion, while Hanwha Ocean had orders for 144 vessels and other units worth $33.9 billion as of the end of July. Both companies have secured roughly three years’ worth of work.

However, strong orderbooks do not necessarily mean shipbuilders can take on more orders, as labor market rigidity makes it difficult to expand production capacity quickly.

Experts called for more flexible hiring rules.

“Shipbuilding has its own characteristics. It is an order-driven industry that requires a large workforce, making it highly sensitive to economic conditions,” said Kwon Hyuk, a labor law professor at Korea University.

“This means labor demand fluctuates significantly. A uniform regulatory framework emphasizing employment stability does not fit well with an industry like shipbuilding, where workforce needs vary widely with orders," he said. "If we place too much uniform emphasis on the concept of stable and good jobs, hiring workers in the shipbuilding industry becomes a considerable burden … because a downturn is bound to follow a boom.”

The professor said the argument for granting shipbuilders special regulatory treatment was consistent with calls for similar exceptions in the semiconductor industry, adding that greater employment flexibility would need to be accompanied by better working conditions and stronger protections for workers.

“It seems appropriate to provide some breathing room with employment flexibility,” he said. “At the same time, offering better working conditions and guarantees during that period, while ensuring a degree of employment flexibility, would contribute to the industry's sustainable growth.”

He noted that building social consensus would be essential before such changes could gain traction, while easing restrictions on foreign workers could also help address labor shortages.

A liquefied petroleum gas carrier / Courtesy of HD Hyundai

Shortage in experienced workers

The challenge goes beyond headcount, as shipbuilding relies on experienced welders, painters, pipefitters and other skilled workers who take time to train. The industry has struggled to attract and retain domestic workers since a prolonged downturn in the mid-2010s triggered mass layoffs, while concerns over working conditions and job security continue to deter younger workers.

Kim Myung-hyun, a professor of naval architecture and ocean engineering at Pusan National University, said the shortage was particularly acute among production workers, while many skilled workers who left the industry during the downturn have had less incentive to return.

“Workers have lost some of the incentives to return, as opportunities to earn more by working longer hours have been reduced,” he said, citing the nation's 52-hour workweek system.

“The industry needs long-term measures to attract younger workers to shipyards, including incentives and vocational training programs.”

Another industry official warned that China’s growing shipbuilding experience could pose a serious long-term threat to Korea’s competitiveness, as accumulated knowhow helps shipbuilders reduce errors and improve efficiency.

“Shipbuilding is an industry where experience matters … And China has already caught up with Korea in large container ships,” the official said. “We need to move quickly to develop new growth markets for the future.”

Experts also say Korea must invest earlier in next-generation shipbuilding technologies to maintain its competitive edge, including floating data centers for artificial intelligence infrastructure, green vessels and autonomous ships.

Kim called for government support for research and development in next-generation vessels and shipbuilding technologies, saying companies may struggle to shoulder the costs alone. Shipbuilders typically operate on relatively thin margins, leaving limited room for large-scale investment in technologies where commercial returns may take years to materialize.

“Given the industry's strategic importance, government support is needed to help shipbuilders develop future technologies and maintain their competitiveness,” the professor said.

尽管订单排到了几年之后，韩国造船企业仍难以扩大产能，因为劳动力市场僵化导致快速招聘困难。中国正在扩大产能并赢得更多全球订单，这引发了人们对韩国竞争力的担忧。业内专家呼吁制定更灵活的雇佣规则，改善工作条件，允许外籍劳工进入韩国，并尽早投资建造下一代船舶。

2014 年至 2024 年间，韩国造船业就业人数下降了 44%，到 2024 年，熟练工人约占造船厂员工的 28%。

去年，中国在全球新造船订单中，按补偿总吨位计算，占比 63%，而韩国仅占 21%。

截至 8 月底，HD 韩国造船与海洋工程公司拥有 526 艘船舶订单，价值约 756 亿美元；而截至 7 月底，韩华海洋公司拥有 144 艘船舶及其他设备订单，价值 339 亿美元。

韩国造船业缺乏经验丰富的焊工、油漆工和管道工，而年轻的工人仍然因为担心工作条件和就业保障而望而却步。

专家们认为，用于人工智能基础设施的浮动数据中心、绿色船舶和自主船舶是下一代市场，需要更早进行研发投资。

发布于2026年10月19日下午12:42（韩国标准时间）

中国竞争对手凭借更灵活的劳动力管理方式不断取得进展

2025年8月27日，李在明总统在费城韩华造船厂举行的“缅因州号”巡洋舰命名仪式上发表讲话。（韩联社）

尽管订单排到了几年之后，韩国造船企业仍难以扩大产能。他们面临的主要困难并非技术或基础设施问题，而是劳动力短缺。

他们需要尽快招聘工人以扩大规模并抓住额外的订单，但他们表示，韩国不灵活的用工方式，加上该行业的周期性特点，使劳动力规划变得复杂：在繁荣时期积极招聘可能会导致造船厂在订单减少时面临过高的劳动力成本，这使得他们在扩大永久性员工队伍方面非常谨慎。

插图：赵相元

尽管韩国造船业正努力应对僵化的劳动制度，但中国竞争对手却在迅速提升产能。韩国国内业内人士担心，随着中国船厂建造更多船舶并不断提升技术能力，中国日益丰富的造船经验可能会削弱韩国的技术优势。

一位不愿透露姓名的业内人士表示：“由于造船业是一个周期性行业，繁荣与衰退之间波动很大，因此需要灵活调整产能以适应市场状况。”

“尽管目前需求充足，但由于劳动力市场僵化，韩国造船企业难以迅速扩大产能，这限制了他们承接更多订单的能力。”

劳动力短缺反映了该行业劳动力长期下滑的趋势。经合组织在2026年4月的一份报告中指出，2014年至2024年间，韩国造船业的就业人数下降了44%，到2024年，技术工人约占造船厂员工总数的28%。

“这不仅仅是个别公司的问题，而是直接关系到韩国造船业在赢得订单方面的竞争力，”该官员补充道。

他表示，中国造船企业通过更灵活的劳动力管理和快速扩大生产能力获得了优势，使他们能够更快地应对需求变化，并在经济繁荣时期获得额外的订单。

由于中国造船企业继续主导全球市场，这些担忧也随之而来。

根据克拉克森研究服务公司的数据，去年中国在全球新造船订单中，按补偿总吨位（CGT）计算，占比高达63%，而韩国仅占21%。经合组织的数据显示，同年中国在全球船舶交付量（按CGT计算）中也占了一半以上。

截至8月底，HD韩国造船海洋工程公司拥有526艘船舶订单，总价值约756亿美元；而截至7月底，韩华海洋公司拥有144艘船舶及其他设备的订单，总价值339亿美元。两家公司都已获得了大约三年的订单量。

然而，订单充足并不一定意味着造船厂可以承接更多订单，因为劳动力市场的僵化使得快速扩大产能变得困难。

专家呼吁制定更灵活的招聘规则。

“造船业有其自身的特点。它是一个以订单为导向的行业，需要大量的劳动力，因此对经济状况非常敏感，”韩国大学劳动法教授权赫表示。

“这意味着劳动力需求波动很大。强调就业稳定的统一监管框架并不适用于造船业这类劳动力需求随订单量变化剧烈的行业，”他说道。“如果我们过于强调稳定和优质就业的概念，那么在造船业招聘工人将成为相当大的负担……因为繁荣之后必然会迎来衰退。”

这位教授表示，给予造船企业特殊监管待遇的论点与半导体行业要求类似豁免的呼声是一致的，并补充说，更大的就业灵活性需要伴随更好的工作条件和更强有力的工人保护。

他表示：“给予员工一定的喘息空间和就业灵活性似乎是合适的。同时，在此期间提供更好的工作条件和保障，并确保一定程度的就业灵活性，将有助于行业的持续增长。”

他指出，在此类变革取得进展之前，建立社会共识至关重要，而放宽对外国劳工的限制也有助于解决劳动力短缺问题。

液化石油气运输船 / 图片由HD Hyundai提供

经验丰富的工人短缺

挑战远不止于人员数量，因为造船业依赖经验丰富的焊工、油漆工、管道工和其他技术工人，而这些工人需要时间接受培训。自2010年代中期持续低迷引发大规模裁员以来，该行业一直难以吸引和留住国内工人，而对工作条件和就业保障的担忧也持续阻碍着年轻求职者。

釜山国立大学船舶建筑与海洋工程教授金明铉表示，生产工人短缺问题尤为严重，而许多在经济低迷时期离开该行业的熟练工人则缺乏重返该行业的动力。

他指出，由于延长工作时间以赚取更多收入的机会减少，工人们重返工作岗位的动力有所下降，并提到了美国每周 52 小时的工作制度。

“造船业需要采取长期措施来吸引年轻工人到造船厂工作，包括提供激励措施和职业培训计划。”

另一位业内人士警告说，中国日益丰富的造船经验可能会对韩国的竞争力构成严重的长期威胁，因为积累的专业知识有助于造船企业减少错误并提高效率。

“造船业是一个经验至关重要的行业……中国在大型集装箱船领域已经赶上了韩国，”这位官员表示。“我们需要加快步伐，为未来开拓新的增长市场。”

专家还表示，韩国必须更早地投资于下一代造船技术，以保持其竞争优势，包括用于人工智能基础设施的浮动数据中心、绿色船舶和自主船舶。

金呼吁政府支持下一代船舶和造船技术的研发，称企业可能难以独自承担相关成本。造船企业的利润通常相对较低，因此在商业回报可能需要数年才能实现的技术方面，大规模投资的空间有限。

“鉴于造船业的战略重要性，需要政府支持来帮助造船企业开发未来技术并保持竞争力，”这位教授说。