IEA reports surge in global energy jobs amid skilled labour shortages

Strong investment in energy infrastructure drove a 2.2% rise in energy jobs last year, nearly double the rate of employment growth for the wider global economy, according to a new IEA report, which highlights the dynamic trends across the sector as well as bottlenecks for skilled labour in key areas.

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The World Energy Employment 2025 report released on Friday finds that global energy sector employment reached 76 million people worldwide in 2024, up more than 5 million from 2019. The sector has contributed 2.4% of all net jobs created across the global economy over the past five years.

The power sector is leading the way on job creation, accounting for three-quarters of recent employment growth, and is now the largest employer in energy, overtaking fuel supply. Solar PV is a key driver of growth, complemented by rapid expansions in hiring in nuclear power, grids and storage. Increasing electrification of other sectors of the economy is also reshaping employment trends, with jobs in EV manufacturing and batteries surging by nearly 800 000 in 2024.

Fossil fuel employment remained resilient in 2024. Coal jobs rebounded in India, China and Indonesia, pushing employment in the coal industry 8% above its 2019 levels despite steep declines in advanced economies. The oil and gas industry has also regained most of the jobs lost in 2020, although low prices and economic uncertainties have triggered job cuts in 2025. Based on early data, energy employment growth is expected to moderate to 1.3% in 2025, reflecting persistently tight labour markets and heightened trade and geopolitical tensions that are making some firms more cautious about hiring.