Employees in the clean energy sector accounted for 50% of the total employment of 65 million people in the global energy sector.
According to the World Energy Employment Report, the first study of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in which it examines worldwide energy employment on a regional and technology basis, the energy sector represented 2% of the world’s workforce with its recovery last year.
Employment in the global energy sector reached 65 million in 2021, an increase of 1.3 million from 2019. Fuel supply constituted 21 million of the total employment, the electricity sector constituted 20 million, and the energy efficiency and vehicle manufacturing sectors constituted 24 million.
While employment in the oil and natural gas sector has not yet reached the pre-epidemic level, 50% of the total employment of 65 million in the global energy sector was composed of employees in the clean energy sector.
About two-thirds of workers in the clean energy sector are employed in the installation of new projects and the manufacture of clean energy technologies.
Employment in low-carbon electricity generation, mainly solar and wind, consists of 7.8 million workers, almost equal to the oil sector.
On a regional basis, the Asia-Pacific region hosts half of the total employment in the global energy sector, while China accounts for 30% of the workforce in the world energy sector.
The rate of female employees in the energy sector is 16%, well below the female representation rate of 39% in the global economy.
6% growth expectation in energy sector employment this year
On the other hand, while the largest growth in global energy sector employment in recent years is expected this year, high costs and inflationary pressures stand out as challenges to employment growth.
This year, 6% growth is expected in the global energy sector.
In his assessment of the report, IEA President Fatih Birol stated that countries responded to the current crisis by accelerating the growth in clean energy technologies and said, “Countries and regions that take this action will also see growth in employment. Seizing this opportunity requires skilled workers. Governments, companies and educators must come together and develop programs to build the skilled workforce needed. Of course, this distribution of labor needs to be done equally.”
Source: Trthaber / Translated by Irem Yildiz