Economic recessions may decrease an organization’s investment in maintenance, training and safety management, and may thus have a negative impact on safety. The present study examines how job security and safety changed during and after a major recession in the Norwegian hydrocarbon industry. Interviews with HSEQ officers in ship-owning companies informed our hypotheses about what effects the recession may have had on safety perception among crew members. Three cross-sectional surveys of maritime hydrocarbon workers were conducted in 2013 (N = 829), 2015 (N = 444), and 2017 (N = 555). The results showed that although the crew’s perceptions of job security decreased from 2013 to 2017, their perceptions of safety climate did not change. Attitudes to safety and to reporting declined from 2013 to 2015, then improved from 2015 to 2017, indicating that the recession had a temporary effect on the crew’s motivation and intention to comply with the safety regulations. Potential organizational and individual explanations are discussed.

The Norwegian hydrocarbon industry faced a significant challenge between September 2014 and January 2016, when the oil prices dropped from an average of 100 USD to 30 USD per barrel (Statistics Norway, 2016). The severity of the situation was clear by the end of 2014, and the industry implemented several cost-cutting measures. Estimates from the Norwegian government indicate that nearly 1 of 4 employees in the Norwegian hydrocarbon related industries lost their jobs during the period from 2013 to 2016 (Norwegian Ministry of Finance, 2017). The industry is characterized by long-term investments and strong union worker protection. This may have led the recession to affect subcontracted parties in particular, such as workers at on-hire offshore supply vessels. Recessions may lead to fear of lay-offs or being made redundant. Job insecurity reflects an individual's worries about losing their current job (Sverke, Hellgren, & Näswall, 2002). Job insecurity is a subjective perception (De Witte, 2005), which can lead to an uncomfortable feeling and