Global energy sector recruitment above pre-Covid levels: IEA

The report released on Thursday said the amount of energy jobs around the world that have recovered from disruptions caused by Covid-19 is well above pre-pandemic levels of more than 65 million people, or about 2% of the total labor force. % Is.

“The growth has been driven by hiring in the clean energy sectors. Meanwhile, the oil and gas sector saw some of the biggest decline in employment at the start of the pandemic and has yet to fully recover,” the IEA report said.

With the recent reform, clean energy crossed the 50 percent mark of its share of total energy employment, with about two-thirds of workers involved in the construction of new projects and the creation of clean energy technologies.

“The energy sector is set to see its fastest employment growth in recent years in 2022, although higher input costs and inflationary pressures are already present in some sectors and sub-sectors, such as solar, wind, oil, recruitment and supply chains. Adding to the challenges are gas,” the report said.

Policy responses to the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the US Inflation Reduction Act, will continue to drive new recruitment demand and shifting the status quo of global energy supply chains, the report said.

According to the IEA report, global employment in the energy sector has risen above its pre-pandemic levels, led by growth in clean energy, providing the first worldwide benchmark for employment in energy industries.

The energy function counted in this report spans the value chain, with nearly a third of workers in the energy fuel supply – coal, oil, gas and bioenergy – a third (generation, transmission, distribution and storage) in the power sector, and a third in the major energy sector. In end uses (vehicle manufacturing and energy efficiency.

According to the report, more than half of energy employment is in the Asia-Pacific region. This reflects the region’s rapidly expanding energy infrastructure and access to low-cost labor that has enabled the emergence of manufacturing centers that serve local and export markets, particularly solar, electric vehicles and batteries. We do. China alone accounts for 30% of the global energy workforce.

In all IEA scenarios, clean energy employment is set to increase, with fossil fuel jobs sharply reduced. In a net zero emissions scenario by 2050, 14 million new clean energy jobs are created by 2030, while another 16 million workers switch to new roles related to clean energy.

New energy jobs may not always be in the same location nor require the same skills as the jobs they replace, requiring policymakers to focus on job training and capacity building to ensure that energy As many people as possible benefit from the infection.

“Countries around the world are responding to the current crisis by seeking to accelerate the development of domestic clean energy industries. IEA Executive Director Fateh Birol said that sectors that take this step will see a huge increase in jobs.

“Skilled workers are required to take advantage of this opportunity. Governments, companies, labor representatives and educators must come together to develop the programs and accreditation needed to develop this workforce and ensure that the jobs created are quality jobs that can attract a diverse workforce, “They said.

About 45% of the world’s energy workers are in high-skilled occupations, compared to about 25% for the broader economy. Some fossil fuel companies are retraining workers internally for positions in low-carbon sectors to retain talent or maintain flexibility when needed.

However, this is not an option everywhere, and ensuring a people-centred and just transition for affected workers should be a focus for policymakers, especially in the coal sector where employment has been declining steadily for several years.

post your comment
first article