The global renewable energy workforce grew to 16.2 million in 2023 from 13.7 million in 2022, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has said in its Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2024.

China alone accounted for 7.1 million jobs, while India and the U.S. have created over a million jobs.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) jobs constituted 7.1 million new jobs, representing 44% of the world’s total renewable energy workforce. Wind constituted 1.5 million jobs in 2023.

According to the report, 347 GW of solar PV capacity was added in 2023.

“With China in the lead, Asian countries hosted 77% of the world’s PV jobs. Europe had a 10.7% share (with the EU accounting for 10.1% of that), the Americas another 8.6%, and all others the remaining 3.3%,” the report said.

Solar Second Largest Renewables Employer in India

In 2023, India has reached an estimated 1.02 million renewable energy jobs.

The report stated that hydropower, with some 453,000 jobs, was the largest renewables employer. It was followed by solar PV, which employed 318,600 people in on-grid and off-grid systems. Other renewables contributed much smaller numbers.

India was also among the top 10 countries that created wind jobs. The top countries constituted 85% of the wind jobs created globally. IRENA estimated that the Indian wind sector had 52,200 jobs in 2023, with nearly 40% in operations and maintenance and approximately 35% in construction and installation.

China had the clear lead with 745,000 jobs.

Hydropower created 2.3 million jobs, with India creating 20% and China 34%. According to the report, renewable hydropower has developed slowly across all countries.

Women in RE Jobs

The report highlights how women entrepreneurs in off-grid solar PV suffer limited access to finance, land rights, and modern energy.

The report noted that cultural barriers and social norms further constrain their entrepreneurial opportunities and growth potential. Addressing these barriers requires comprehensive strategies and policies to support women’s participation.

Women-led businesses, such as those focusing on e-cooking solutions, address social needs while creating economic opportunities. Supporting female entrepreneurs requires mentorship, training, financial literacy programs, and access to non-traditional financing options.

In the U.S., while women still hold a small number in the energy sector, they represented a significant 19% of the energy jobs newly created in 2023.

According to a 2023 International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Employment report, investments in clean energy technologies drove demand for new workers in every region.

However, a shortage of skilled labor has emerged as a critical barrier to ramping up activity. The report found that global energy employment rose to 67 million people in 2022, a 3.2 million increase from pre-pandemic levels.

According to the National Solar Jobs Census by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the U.S. had 263,883 jobs dedicated to solar energy as of December 2022, indicating a 3.5% growth with 8,846 additional jobs since 2021.