機構分析師表示解決美國海軍造船問題應從工人開始 (1/2)

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Fixing the US Navy's shipbuilding problems starts with the workers, agency analysts say (1/2)

Business Insider - Chris Panella

Sun, March 16, 2025 at 4:17 a.m. PDT·4 min read

The American shipbuilding industry is grappling with severe problems, none perhaps more crucial than the state of the workforce, naval affairs experts said this week.

Addressing the shipbuilding industry's workforce challenges, they explained, starts with competitive wages, quality-of-life improvements, and retention of skilled employees.

At a House Armed Service Committee Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee hearing, members and witnesses talked about some of the woes facing US shipbuilders, such as the smaller industrial base and erratic demand signals from the Navy, and how these long-standing challenges are affecting top Navy programs.

"To say this plainly, we must act now," said Sen. Trent Kelly, the subcommittee chairman.

"Whether through changes to our procurement processes, stronger industrial base investments, or cultural shifts within shipbuilding program offices," the Mississippi Republican said, "we need to make these decisions sooner rather than later."

A range of topics were discussed during the hearing, but the problems relating to shipbuilding workers were center stage.

The consensus among witnesses like Eric Labs, senior analyst for naval forces and weapons with the Congressional Budget Office, and Shelby Oakley, the director of contracting and national security acquisitions with the Government Accountability Office, was that the starting point for fixing US shipbuilding issues is investing in the workforce.

"In my view, nothing is more important than addressing the critical labor shortages that afflict all the shipbuilding and public maintenance yards," Labs said. Recruitment has been low, and retention difficult, especially in trades such as welding, ship fitters, and pipe fitters.

The primary solution brought up was higher wages. Worker pay isn't competitive enough, experts argued, especially for what can be a demanding job, meaning potential workers are opting for employment at retail outlets and other places. There's a decline in interest in manufacturing jobs and not enough investment in fixing that.

Other related problems are improving the quality of life and working conditions in the yards, cheaper housing, and more benefits. Upping automation in shipyards, as well as better worker training, too, were included.

There have been proposals put forward for better pay, as that's been a focus for industry and the Navy, but the challenges aren't easily solved. Higher wages invite entry-level workers, experts said, but then those yards must retain those skilled workers and invest in their careers.

(to be continued)

Translation

機構分析師表示解決美國海軍造船問題應從工人開始 (1/2)

 

海軍事務專家們本週表示，美國造船業正面臨嚴重的問題，其中最關鍵的或許就是勞動力狀況。

他們解釋說，解決船舶製造業的勞動力挑戰首先要有競爭力的薪資、改善生活品質和留住熟練的員工。

在眾議院軍事委員會海上力量和兵力投送小組委員會的聽證會上，議員和證人談到了美國造船商面臨的一些困境，例如工業基礎較小、海軍發出的需求信號不穩定，以及這些長期存在的挑戰如何影響海軍頂級項目。

小組委員會主席 Trent Kelly 參議員說: 「坦白說，我們必須立即採取行動」。

這位密西西比州共和黨人表示： “無論是通過改變我們的採購流程、加強工業基礎投資，還是造船項目辦公室內部的文化轉變，我們都需要儘早做出這些決定。”

聽證會上討論了一系列主題，但有關造船工人的問題成為焦點。

美國國會預算辦公室海軍力量與武器高級分析師 Eric Labs, 和美國政府問責局承包與國家安全收購主管Shelby Oakley 等證人的共識是，解決美國造船問題的起點是投資於勞動力。

Labs說： “在我看來，沒有什麼比解決困擾所有造船和公共維修廠的嚴重勞動力短缺問題更重要。”  招聘人數一直很低，而且很難留住人才，特別是在焊接、船舶裝配工和管道裝配工等行業。

提出的主要解決方案是提高工資。專家認為，工人的薪水不夠有競爭力，特別是對於要求高的工作來說，這意味著潛在的工人會選擇在零售店和其他地方就業。人們對製造業職位的興趣正在下降，而去解決這個問題的投資卻不夠。

其他相關問題包括改善船塢裡的生活質素和工作條件、提供更便宜的住房以及提供更多的福利。其中還包括提高造船廠的自動化程度以及加強工人培訓。

已經有人提出了提高薪資的建議，因為這是工業界和海軍關注的重點，但這些挑戰並不容易解決。專家表示，更高的工資可以吸引初級工人，但船廠必須留住這些技術工人，並對他們的職業生涯進行投資。

（待續）