Wages, Working and Living Conditions

The risk

Challenges with attracting and retaining workers across some transport sectors have become a persistent, long-term challenge for supply chains – and the companies and supply chain actors within them. As a result, the transport industry faces severe challenges with recruiting and retaining adequate workforce levels, leading to shortages. These are caused by a lack of decent work and declining employment conditions, and exacerbated by deregulation, weak enforcement, unfair competition and sustained downward pressure on labour standards.

Across transport, workforce challenges disrupt and weaken the resilience of supply chains while increasing worker safety risks. In road transport, the industry has been unable to fill a 3.6 million driver shortfall in 2024, while 20% of truck driver vacancies remained unfilled across Europe and Asia. Women represent just 3% of drivers, and the share of young workers (under 25) continues to decline, falling by 5.8% from 2023 to 2024, and accounting for only 6.5% of the global driver workforce.

In shipping, the Covid pandemic triggered the first global shortage of seafarers in 2021. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) projected that this year there will be a shortfall of approximately 90,000 seafarers – around 5% of the current total workforce. At the same time, approximately 800,000 seafarers need retraining to operate vessels using sustainable fuels and emerging technologies being introduced into the maritime industry. 

Workforce challenges are also growing in warehousing and logistics. In February 2025, more than 370,000 warehousing roles remained unfilled in the USA, representing a 15% annual increase. A 2022 study found that 53% of warehouse operators in the Asia-Pacific region reported difficulties recruiting workers, and the global warehouse industry could face a shortfall of over 2 million workers by 2030. 

These shortfalls are driven by structural problems in job quality, including insecure work, low pay and unsafe conditions. Women, young workers and other marginalised groups face persistent barriers to entry, retention and progression, and are disproportionately affected by precarious contracts, lower wages and inadequate career pathways – factors that discourage long-term participation in the transport sector.

What companies and supply chain actors must do

Workforce challenges are a result of decent work deficits rather than any worker shortage issues – realising the right to decent work for all workers is the solution to the problem.

This requires addressing causal factors by improving job quality and working conditions across transport supply chains, and by working in tandem with trade unions to strengthen recruitment, retention and long-term workforce sustainability. This includes supporting access to training, skills development and career progression, removing barriers that prevent workers from entering and remaining in the sector, and promoting inclusive employment opportunities for groups historically underrepresented in transport, including women, young workers, LGBT+ workers, workers with disabilities, and workers from indigenous communities.

Advancing decent work also requires companies and supply chain actors to address all other interconnected risks outlined in this guidance, for example subcontracting and precarious employment, which undermine job security, safety and fair working conditions, and contributes to workforce shortages.