The potential of the Blue Economy to promote the generation of sustainable employment in the European Union

Pedro Antonio Martín-Cervantes, Samuel O. Idowu, Pablo de Frutos Madrazo and Juan Carlos Frechoso Remiro

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, 2025, vol. 5, issue 4, 355-371

Abstract: PurposeThis study explores the contribution of the Blue Economy to employment generation across the European Union from 2009 to 2017. It seeks to identify the most influential sectors in the development of blue jobs and examine their geographical distribution across EU sea basins.Design/methodology/approachA panel data regression model was applied to a balanced dataset covering 27 EU member states. The model identifies sectoral impacts on employment, highlighting both positive and negative contributors within the Blue Economy. The analysis is disaggregated by the eight EU sea basins.FindingsResults indicate that coastal tourism remains the most influential sector in generating blue jobs, followed by Maritime Transport and the exploitation of non-renewable marine resources. Conversely, fisheries and aquaculture show a negative relationship with job creation, likely due to climate change and restrictive EU quota policies.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the 2009–2017 period and does not consider recent disruptions such as COVID-19 or geopolitical conflicts. Future research should extend the analysis to more recent data.Practical implicationsFindings support the design of targeted public policies that strengthen tourism and transport sectors as engines of sustainable maritime employment.Social implicationsThe Blue Economy can promote inclusive job creation across the EU, even in landlocked areas, contributing to regional cohesion.Originality/valueThis research contributes novel empirical evidence on blue employment in the EU by incorporating all member states and examining the spatial dimension of job distribution across sea basins. It offers a comprehensive picture of how blue employment evolves and affects both coastal and landlocked countries.

Keywords: European Union; Economic development; Blue Economy; Blue growth; Blue jobs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jbsedp:jbsed-06-2025-0221

DOI: 10.1108/JBSED-06-2025-0221

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