IEA: Solar Power to Account for 40% of Global Electricity and New Jobs in 2024

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released its World Energy Employment Report 2025, indicating that employment growth in the global energy sector has nearly doubled that of the overall global economy. The core driver behind this growth trajectory is the sustained expansion of energy infrastructure investment.

Data from the report shows that by the end of 2024, global energy sector employment had climbed to 76 million people, representing a net increase of over 5 million compared to 2019.

Among various energy segments, solar power emerged as the dominant force driving new job creation in the electricity sector, accounting for 40% of all new positions globally. The manufacturing of system equipment alone—including inverters, solar panels, generators, and batteries—has absorbed approximately 3.5 million workers.

Regionally, China remains the core employment market for solar energy, accounting for 60% of the global workforce in this sector. Europe, India, and other Asia-Pacific nations each contribute around 10% of total employment in this field.

In terms of job structure, the solar industry's workforce is highly concentrated in the “development and installation” segment, with about two-thirds of employees engaged in new project development and installation-related work. Among them, personnel responsible for installing solar projects in private residences and utility-scale solar fields account for 46%; while those employed in the manufacturing of core equipment such as polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules account for 21%.