Contradictions in Employment within the Global Energy Industry Become Prominent

In the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest "World Energy Employment Report 2025," a striking paradox emerges: while the global energy sector is creating jobs at an unprecedented pace, it simultaneously faces an increasingly severe shortage of skilled labor.

Data shows that in 2024, global energy employment surpassed 76 million, with a growth rate of 2.2%—nearly twice the overall global economic growth rate. Over the past five years, the energy industry has contributed 2.4% of net new jobs globally, becoming a key pillar for job creation in the world economy.

The rise of the power sector stands out. Not only does it account for nearly three-quarters of new energy jobs, but it has also surpassed traditional fuel supply sectors to become the largest employer in the energy industry. The rapid expansion of solar photovoltaics is the main driver behind this growth, while fast development in nuclear power, grid construction, and energy storage has injected fresh momentum into the labor market. Meanwhile, the electrification transformation of the global economy is reshaping employment patterns; in 2024 alone, employment in electric vehicle manufacturing and battery industries surged by nearly 800,000 positions, demonstrating strong labor demand across the new energy industrial chain.

Traditional energy sectors have also shown resilience. Although coal industry employment has sharply declined in advanced economies, recovery in coal industries in countries such as India, China, and Indonesia has lifted global coal employment 8% above 2019 levels. The oil and gas sector has largely recovered the jobs lost during the pandemic in 2020.

The report projects that energy employment growth will slow to 1.3% in 2025. This shift reflects ongoing labor market tightness and rising geopolitical and trade tensions, prompting companies to adopt more cautious hiring strategies.

At the same time, deeper challenges in global energy employment are emerging. Among the 700 energy-related organizations surveyed by the IEA, over half face bottlenecks in recruiting for critical positions.

Shortages in technical roles are particularly acute. Since 2019, there have been 2.5 million additional jobs for electricians, plumbers, lineworkers, plant operators, and nuclear engineers—accounting for more than half of today's global energy workforce, over twice their share in the broader economy—and this structural imbalance is worsening due to an aging workforce.

Meanwhile, the supply of newly qualified workers lags far behind industry demand. To prevent the skills gap from widening further before 2030, the global energy sector needs to increase the number of newly qualified entrants by 40%. This would require an annual investment increase of $2.6 billion—just 0.1% of global education spending—but could yield substantial socioeconomic returns.

The report highlights that resolving this challenge requires coordinated efforts. Surveys indicate that major barriers to participating in energy training include financial burden, income loss during training, and limited awareness of available programs. Recommendations include targeted learning incentives, expanded apprenticeship programs, industry-involved curriculum design, and sustained investment in training infrastructure. Moreover, reskilling within the energy sector is crucial, especially in regions where traditional energy employment is declining, as targeted training can help workers transition to growing areas in new energy.

The global energy transition is creating historic employment opportunities, but ensuring sufficient qualified workers to fill these roles has become a critical issue for energy security and sustainable economic development. This requires not only policy guidance from governments but also joint participation from businesses, educational institutions, and society.

As the world's largest renewable energy market and equipment manufacturer, China's talent development model—built on industry-education integration and collaboration between enterprises and schools—offers valuable insights for global energy workforce development. By establishing a multi-tiered talent cultivation system guided by government, led by enterprises, and involving educational institutions, China is forging a path that meets its domestic energy transition needs while contributing wisdom to global energy governance.