The renewable energy sector currently employs 8.1 million people, to which the 1.3 million people working in big hydroelectric power stations should be added.
These figures are contained in the latest entitled «Renewable Energy and Jobs. Annual Review 2016«, which was presented by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on the occasion of its 11th Council Meeting held in Abu Dhabi on May 24-25, 2016 that saw the participation of over 300 government delegates representing 96 countries, including the EU.
The report has highlighted significant figures, which not only show a job increase in the sector (+5% compared to 2015), but also indicate that the new jobs make up the job lost in the energy sector worldwide in general. In the United States, for example, jobs in the renewable sector increased by 6%, while the ones related to the oil and gas sectors went down by 18%. At the same time, the renewable sector in China currently employs 3.5 million people, compared to the 2.6 million employees of the oil and gas sectors.