- Global renewable energy installations reached a new peak in 2024, yet job growth in the sector rose by only 2.3% from the previous year, bringing total employment to 16.6 million, according to the Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2025 – released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The report highlights mounting geopolitical and geoeconomic frictions, alongside rising automation, as key factors constraining employment growth, even as capacity expansion accelerates.
As in previous years, development remains uneven across regions. China continues to dominate both renewable energy deployment and equipment manufacturing, underpinned by highly integrated, large-scale supply chains that deliver technology at globally competitive prices. In 2024, China accounted for an estimated 7.3 million renewable energy jobs – 44% of the global total.
The European Union followed with 1.8 million jobs, unchanged from 2023. Brazil’s renewable energy workforce reached 1.4 million, while employment in India and the United States grew only modestly, from around 1 million to 1.3 million and 1.1 million, respectively.
Commenting on the findings, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said renewable energy growth must be matched by social and economic inclusion. “Renewable energy deployment is booming, but the human side of the story is as important as the technological side,” he said. La Camera called on governments to place people at the centre of energy and climate policies through trade and industrial strategies that stimulate investment, build domestic capacity, and develop skilled workforces across supply chains.
He also warned that persistent geographical imbalances in job creation underscore the need to revive international cooperation. “Countries that are lagging behind in the energy transition must be supported by the international community,” he said, noting this is essential to achieving the global goal of tripling renewable power capacity by 2030 and ensuring that socio-economic benefits are broadly shared.
By technology, solar photovoltaics (PV) remained the largest employer, driven by rapid deployment and manufacturing expansion. The sector employed 7.3 million people in 2024, with Asian countries hosting 75% of global PV jobs. China alone accounted for 4.2 million of these positions.
Liquid biofuels ranked second, generating 2.6 million jobs globally, nearly half of them in Asia. Hydropower followed with 2.3 million jobs, while wind energy employed 1.9 million people worldwide.
Beyond headline figures, the report places strong emphasis on inclusion and equity. It stresses that a just energy transition must ensure that women and people with disabilities are not left behind, noting that their potential remains significantly underutilised across the sector.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo emphasised that inclusion must be embedded into policy design and implementation. “A just transition to a renewables-based future must be grounded in inclusion, dignity, and equal opportunity,” he said, calling for accessible training systems, inclusive hiring practices, and workplaces that accommodate diverse needs. Houngbo added that disability inclusion is not only a matter of justice but also essential for resilient labour markets and sustainable development.
The report argues that fostering diversity and fairness requires sustained, inclusive policy frameworks, including accessible education, training, and labour market services. It also stresses the importance of ensuring that marginalised groups have a meaningful voice in policy development, while discriminatory practices and outdated social norms are actively dismantled.
This 12th edition of the Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review forms part of IRENA’s broader analytical work on the socio-economic impacts of the energy transition and marks the fifth edition produced in collaboration with the ILO. The ILO contributed the chapter focusing on the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
