The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released the "World Energy Employment 2024" report, which highlights significant employment growth in the global energy sector. In 2023, the energy industry added nearly 2.5 million jobs, bringing total employment to over 67 million, a growth rate of 3.8%. This rate surpasses the global average economic growth rate of 2.2%.
From IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released the "World Energy Employment 2024" report, which highlights significant employment growth in the global energy sector. In 2023, the energy industry added nearly 2.5 million jobs, bringing total employment to over 67 million, a growth rate of 3.8%. This rate surpasses the global average economic growth rate of 2.2%.
In 2023, the clean energy sector accounted for 34.8 million jobs, representing 52% of total employment in the global energy field. The sector saw the creation of 1.5 million new jobs, with the solar photovoltaic industry alone contributing over 500,000 of these positions. Additionally, employment in the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing sectors grew by 410,000 jobs. Conversely, the fossil fuel industry experienced a 3% increase in employment, with the oil and gas supply sector adding more than 600,000 jobs. However, coal sector employment has declined for the third consecutive year due to ongoing productivity improvements and a reduction in new coal-fired power plants.
In China, the energy sector added over 800,000 jobs in 2023, reaching a total of 20.6 million, which accounts for more than 20% of global energy employment. China continues to dominate the global solar photovoltaic and wind turbine manufacturing markets, especially in electric vehicle and battery production, where it holds 78% of the world's jobs in these sectors.
The distribution of energy jobs across various sectors reveals significant trends. In the solar photovoltaic industry, employment exceeded 4.5 million, with China accounting for over 85% of global manufacturing jobs. The wind energy sector employed nearly 1.7 million, with China contributing 50% of this total, followed by Europe at 20%, and other Asia-Pacific regions at 14%. The hydropower sector employed over 2 million, with China being the largest employer globally. In the nuclear energy sector, employment approached 1.1 million, with China constituting nearly one-third of the global workforce.
The global electricity grid sector accounted for over 8 million jobs, with China and developed economies collectively making up more than half of this employment total. In electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, the workforce reached 1.3 million and 1.4 million, respectively, with China holding 78% of global jobs in these fields. Despite the overall employment growth being driven largely by clean energy, the fossil fuel industry (which includes coal, oil, and gas) also experienced job growth in 2023. Lastly, employment in the energy efficiency sector remained stable at approximately 9.8 million, despite a slowdown in investment growth.
Overall, the IEA report illustrates the rapid expansion of employment opportunities within the clean energy sector, underscoring its vital role in addressing energy needs and supporting global economic development.