If you are considering a career in clean energy, you may be in luck.
The energy sector will add nearly 2.5 million jobs worldwide by 2023, driven by advances in clean tech, according to an International Energy Agency report released in November.
This increase brought the number of energy jobs over 67 million worldwide and reached a one-year growth rate of 3.8%. This exceeded employment growth for all industries in 2023, which reached 2.2%, as reported by the IEA.
Clean energy jobs accounted for the largest share of the increase, rising by 1.5 million globally by 2023, the report explained. This clean energy boom included more than 500,000 new jobs in the solar photovoltaic industry, more than 400 additions in the electric vehicle manufacturing and battery industries, and a jump in wind energy jobs that reflected the growth of projects despite the layoffs of some wind power producers.
Hiring in the dark energy sector also increased in 2023, with the oil and gas supply sector adding more than 600 jobs, per the IEA. However, jobs in the coal industry declined for the third straight year.
The Energy Employment Report, in its third annual issue, examines changes in industry demand, breaking down global energy employment by region, sector, and technology type. In the context of industrial expansion, the IEA has confirmed the transition to cleaner production in 2023, with less growth of work in construction and installation than in previous years.
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The organization also saw the importance of hiring electricians, noting that the lack of skilled workers is an ongoing concern for employers. For job seekers who can train for clean energy jobs, this can also represent an opportunity.
To make sure that growth is balanced going forward, the IEA has identified the need for investment in developing and developing countries (except China). According to the report, this will only account for a quarter of clean energy growth from 2019 even though they provide 60% of the world’s jobs.
“The global energy sector has been a powerful engine of global job growth in recent years,” said Laura Cozzi, IEA director of development, technology, and outlook. “As the energy system continues to change and grow, there is an increasing demand for skilled energy workers. However, this report shows that more investment in skills and training is necessary.”
In general, the increase in energy jobs is a good sign for job seekers and the economy. The fact that clean energy projects are leading the charge also benefits people and the environment. Abandoning highly polluting energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal can keep the air clean and slow the release of heat-trapping gases that warm the earth, which exacerbate bad weather and increase health risks.
The IEA report is not the only recent report on the growth of clean energy jobs.
In August, the US Department of Energy projected the nation’s clean energy project by 2023, saying it would grow “at a rate twice as large as that of the rest of the energy sector and the US economy as a whole.”
A survey by Fast Company also identified a recent increase in clean energy hiring. It warned that the trend could change with a change in leadership but said it needs energy to support the continued growth of tech workers.
As journalist Andrew Thompson wrote to the media, “Trends in the labor market come and go… [but] putting electrons on the grid without harming the earth is something that will never go out of fashion.”
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