Germany and Spain are expected to be the European countries to create the most jobs in the solar sector by 2027, according to research by Randstad.
Francisco Serrano, Head of Engineering at Randstad Professional in Spain, said in a press release, “In the medium scenario, the top seven markets are expected to account for 73% of all solar jobs in the EU by 2027, providing a total of 886,000 full-time positions. The remaining 27% will be provided by the other 20 member states.”
Poland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden round out the top seven markets.
The report highlighted that, in 2022, the last year for which data is available, solar photovoltaic energy was consolidated as the most dynamic, significantly boosting employment in the renewable energy sector.
Further data showed that the solar industry generated 4.9 million jobs globally, surpassing the 3.58 million jobs in the biofuel energy sector, 2.49 million in hydropower, and 1.4 million in wind energy. Of all renewable energies, the European Union was home to 1.64 million jobs, placing it as one of the leading regions in this field worldwide, below China, which had 5.5 million jobs.
Randstad’s data also showed that the solar photovoltaic energy sector stands out as the leader in gender inclusion within the renewable energy field, with women occupying 40% of full-time jobs. Solar is followed by wind energy, where 21% of employees are women. Among conventional energies, 22% of employees in the oil and gas subsector are women.
Randstad said it is positioning itself as a key partner for companies leading the energy transition. In this way, it reinforces its commitment to its ESG strategy (environmental, social, and governance) and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), aligning itself, especially with SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (climate action), providing specialized talent for this transformation.
“A significant increase in jobs related to renewable energy and climate change mitigation is expected, especially for renewable energy and solar system installation engineers,” Serrano said.
Randstad Professional’s new Green Energies subspecialty will focus on filling key positions within the energy sector, responding to the growing demand for specialized talent. The most sought-after roles include engineers and professionals with specific skills in critical areas of the transition to clean energy.