ILO Reports Slowdown in Renewable Energy Jobs

Havana, Jan 12 (ACN) The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported a slowdown in the number of jobs in renewable energy despite the sector’s global growth.

According to the report Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2025, employment in the sector increased by only 2.3 percent since 2023, reaching 16.6 million jobs in 2024, despite renewable energy facilities hitting a new peak in capacity.

The study highlights the growing impact of geopolitical and geoeconomic frictions, as well as automation, on the renewable energy workforce, PL news agency reported.

The report reveals that women still face obstacles in hiring and career development, and that people with disabilities are only beginning to see greater opportunities.

The document also notes that China is the dominant power in the deployment of generation capacity and in equipment manufacturing. In 2024, China created approximately 7.3 million renewable energy jobs, accounting for 44 percent of the global total.

Meanwhile, the European Union recorded the same figure as in 2023, with 1.8 million jobs, it added. Brazil has 1.4 million renewable energy jobs, while India and the United States saw only modest growth, rising from around one million to 1.3 million and 1.1 million jobs, respectively.

In terms of employment by technology, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy remains the leader thanks to the rapid and continuous expansion of installations and panel manufacturing plants.

That sector employed 7.3 million people in 2024, and Asian countries accounted for 75 percent of the world’s photovoltaic jobs, with China holding the largest share at 4.2 million.

Liquid biofuels follow solar PV, with 2.6 million jobs created in 2024, representing 46.5 percent of total renewable energy employment in Asia.

Meanwhile, hydropower ranked third with 2.3 million jobs, followed by wind energy with 1.9 million.

The report underscores the need for greater inclusion and equity in the renewable energy sector and reiterates that a fair transition requires that no segment of the population—such as women and people with disabilities—be left behind.