Despite massive 'quantitative easing' (with the government printing new money to buy back national debt) of almost US$4 trillion over the past four years, the US economy remains stuck in first gear. The national unemployment rate is finally showing signs of dropping below 8 per cent, a level it has remained at since the economic meltdown. However, this decline - ominously - is attributed to disillusioned workers 'dropping out' - that is, giving up hope and not looking for jobs any longer. By this yardstick, the offshore support vessel (OSV) industry ought to be celebrated as the one beacon of hope in difficult times. And only a curmudgeon would begrudge the hard-working US mariners in the Gulf of Mexico the bountiful incomes they are taking home. With wages at all-time highs, there may perhaps never have been a better time to be a mariner in the region. However, some experts expressed concerns to OSJ that this newfound prosperity may have come at the cost of a loss of tenure and seniority, or a loss of benefits.
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