Renewable energy jobs rises 2.3% to 16.6 million in 2024

China accounted for 44% of global renewable energy employment.

Global renewable energy employment increased 2.3% in 2024 to 16.6 million jobs, despite record renewable energy installations, according to a report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

China accounted for 7.3 million renewable energy jobs in 2024, representing 44% of the global total, which the report attributed to large-scale, integrated supply chains and manufacturing capacity. The European Union followed with 1.8 million jobs, unchanged from 2023, whilst Brazil recorded 1.4 million jobs, according to the agencies.

Employment growth in other major markets was limited, with India’s renewable energy workforce rising to about 1.3 million and the United States reaching 1.1 million in 2024, from around 1 million each a year earlier, the report said. The data points to continued geographic concentration of clean energy employment.

Solar photovoltaics remained the largest employer, with 7.3 million jobs globally in 2024 as installations and panel manufacturing expanded. Asia hosted 75% of global solar PV employment, with China accounting for 4.2 million jobs, while liquid biofuels employed 2.6 million people, hydropower 2.3 million and wind energy 1.9 million, according to the report.

IRENA and the ILO said the findings highlight the role of public policy in building domestic renewable energy supply chains. The agencies also pointed to the need to improve workforce inclusion, particularly for women and people with disabilities, as countries scale renewable energy capacity and employment.