The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recently published its Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2025.
The edition shows that renewable energy employment worldwide has continued to grow. This twelfth edition, produced in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), estimates at least 16.6 million jobs in renewable energy employment globally.
Despite record capacity additions in 2024, employment growth was moderated by economies of scale; automation and other forms of technological innovation; excess equipment manufacturing capacity; and grid bottlenecks leading to curtailment of electricity generation.
This report finds that women still face barriers to hiring and career advancement, and people with disabilities are only just beginning to receive more opportunities. It concludes that the human side of renewable energy is still too often overlooked or taken for granted.
Continued growth in renewable energy deployment will keep adding to employment in the sector. This means that education and training need to be a key component of a comprehensive policy approach that brings together deployment support, finance and investment, industrial and trade policies for supply chain building, economic development and revitalisation, and inclusive workforce development.
Key Highlights:
Record Employment, but Challenges Emerge
Global renewable energy employment hit 16.6 million jobs in 2024, yet growth slowed to just 2.3% despite record capacity additions. This highlights the increasing impact of geopolitical and geoeconomic frictions, as well as growing automation, on the renewable energy workforce.
Jobs Remain Geographically Concentrated
Renewable energy jobs are still heavily concentrated in selected countries and regions, with the top five holding over 85% of the share. China continues to lead in deployment and manufacturing. The country alone accounted for 44% of global employment in 2024. The remaining top four employers are the Rest of Asia (2.47 million), European Union (1.8 million), Brazil (1.38 million) and India (1.28 million). This geographical imbalance reflects differences in investment, policy support, and availability of skilled labour.
Solar Continues to Drive Employment Growth
Solar photovoltaics (PV) remains the most dynamic sector, driving the majority of new capacity additions in 2024. The industry remains the largest employer with 7.2 million people in 2024, followed by biofuels, hydropower, and wind by biofuels (2.6 million), hydropower (2.3 million) and wind (1.9 million). Hydropower is maturing with flat growth, while biofuels jobs remain concentrated in agricultural supply chains and are often seasonal.
China Dominates Solar PV Employment
China leads global solar PV employment with 58% of all jobs, driven by its dominance in equipment manufacturing. The top ten solar PV employers account for 82% of global employment, with six located in Asia. As a small number of countries hold a large share of panel production capacity, jobs elsewhere are mostly in construction, installation and operations and maintenance.
Women Remain Underrepresented in the Workforce
Women hold 32% of full-time jobs in the renewable energy sector, higher than oil and gas (23%) but still below the global workforce average of 43%. These jobs remain concentrated in administrative roles, with only 19% of senior management positions held by women. Top-down and bottom-up strategies, as well as cross-cutting initiatives are required to overcome the systemic barriers hindering women’s increased contribution to and leadership in the sector.
Beyond the Numbers: The Need for Inclusion and Equity
The renewables-based energy future must be shaped by diverse talents and perspectives. Yet the potential of women and people with disabilities remains under-utilised. Ensuring the energy transition benefits all requires accessible training systems, inclusive hiring practices and workplaces that accommodate diverse needs.
Skilling Is Essential to Fill the Workforce Gap
Skilled workforce is required along the supply chain. As technology reshapes jobs, workforce must evolve to meet new skill demands. Workforce development must include stepped-up efforts in education and training (including reskilling and upskilling). Initiatives like IRENA’s Call to Action on Skilling for the Energy Transition promotes international cooperation on education and training for a sustainable energy future by leveraging on existing efforts and expertise to accelerate skill development. Join the Call to Action and be part of the global effort.
Tagged with IRENA, renewable energy