4.3 million people! Global solar workforce at record high
Sep 30, 2022
According to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), nearly a third of all renewable energy technology jobs in 2021 will come from the solar PV sector.
In 2021, 300,000 new jobs will be created in the solar sector, reaching 4.3 million, continuing to hold the highest share of jobs in renewable energy technologies.
The report, published in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, shows that China's share of global PV employment, as a major manufacturer of PV equipment and the largest market for solar installations, increases from 58% in 2020 to 63%, with a total of around 2.7 million jobs. Manufacturing activities have created 1.6 million PV jobs in China.
Last year, the number of workers in the United States rose to 255,000, an increase of 9 per cent. The US has recovered from the downturn in 2020. Japan is continuing to reduce its workforce in the solar sector, with 151,000 jobs expected in 2021, down from 220,000 in 2020.
Japan has been overtaken by the booming Indian market, losing the third position. Last year, 217,000 jobs were created in the Indian solar sector.
Other countries in the top 10 for solar jobs last year were Bangladesh, Brazil, Poland, Germany, Vietnam and Australia, which together accounted for 87% of the global total, according to IRENA.
A recent report by trade body SolarPower Europe noted that although Poland is not the largest regional market in terms of installed capacity, it has the largest solar workforce in Europe, surpassing Germany.
In 2021, Asia accounts for 79% of global PV jobs, reflecting the region's dominance in solar manufacturing and strong development volumes. It is followed by the Americas with 7.7% (down from 9% in 2020), Europe with 6.6% (including 5.5% in the EU) and the rest of the world (4.9%), up from 6% in 2020.
Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA, and Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organisation, said, "To safeguard global employment and other socio-economic benefits, more countries around the world need to pursue policies that can boost domestic capabilities."
In addition, the report outlines "encouraging" progress on gender equality in the workforce, with the solar sector outperforming the renewable energy sector as a whole. However, the report also shows that more needs to be done to promote women's participation at all levels of the industry.
