New report finds more than 67 million jobs created by one industrial sector: ‘A powerful engine of jobs growth’

If you’re considering a career in clean energy, you could be in luck.

The energy sector added nearly 2.5 million jobs worldwide in 2023, driven by gains in clean tech, according to an International Energy Agency report released in November.

The increase brought the total number of energy jobs above 67 million globally and amounted to a single-year growth rate of 3.8%. This outpaced the growth in jobs across all industries in 2023, which averaged 2.2%, as the IEA noted.

Clean energy jobs accounted for the largest share of the expansion, rising by 1.5 million worldwide in 2023, the report detailed. This clean energy surge included more than 500,000 new jobs in the photovoltaic solar industry, more than 400,000 additions in electric vehicle manufacturing and battery industries, and an overall jump in wind energy jobs that reflected a boom in projects despite layoffs for some wind tech manufacturers.

Hiring in dirty energy also expanded in 2023, with the oil and gas supply sector adding over 600,000 jobs, per the IEA. Yet jobs in the coal industry declined for the third straight year.

The Energy Employment report, in its third annual edition, analyzes changes in the industry’s labor needs, breaking down global energy employment by region, sector, and technology type. Within the industry expansion, the IEA highlighted shifts toward clean manufacturing in 2023, with relatively less job growth in construction and installation than in prior years.

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The agency also identified crucial needs in energy hiring, noting in particular that skilled worker shortages are an ongoing concern for employers. For jobseekers able to train for clean energy careers, this can also represent an opportunity.

To make sure growth is more equitable going forward, the IEA saw a need for investment in emerging and developing nations (other than China). Per the report, these account for only a quarter of clean energy job growth since 2019 despite supplying 60% of the global labor force.

“The global energy sector has been a powerful engine of jobs growth around the world in recent years,” said Laura Cozzi, the IEA’s director of sustainability, technology, and outlooks. “As the energy system continues to transform and grow, rising demand for skilled energy workers is a given. However, this report shows that greater investment in skills and training is critical.”

Generally, the increase in energy jobs is a good sign for jobseekers and economies. The fact that clean energy jobs are leading the charge also bodes well for people and the environment. A shift away from high-polluting energy sources such as oil, gas, and coal can keep air cleaner and slow the release of heat-trapping gases that warm the planet, which amplifies extreme weather and worsens health risks.

The IEA report isn’t the only recent documentation of growth in clean energy jobs.

In August, the U.S. Department of Energy spotlighted the nation’s clean energy employment in 2023, saying that it grew “at a rate more than twice as large as that for the rest of the energy sector and the U.S. economy overall.”

An analysis by Fast Company also noted recent increases in clean energy hiring. It cautioned that trends may change with the presidential administration turning over but suggested that demands for energy will support a continuing need for clean tech workers.

As journalist Andrew Thompson wrote for the news outlet, “Trends in the labor market come and go … [but] putting an electron on the grid without harming the planet is something that will never fully go out of fashion.”

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