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

Purpose This 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/approach A 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. Findings Results 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/implications The 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 implications Findings support the design of targeted public policies that strengthen tourism and transport sectors as engines of sustainable maritime employment. Social implications The Blue Economy can promote inclusive job creation across the EU, even in landlocked areas, contributing to regional cohesion. Originality/value This 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.