• Electricity production, grids, and storage now lead global energy job creation
• Sector employment reached 76 million in 2024, up more than 5 million since 2019
• Rising solar and electrification projects in Africa increase demand for technical skills

Global energy employment has undergone a major transformation since 2019. This is one of the key findings of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Employment 2025 report, which notes that electricity generation, grids, and storage have become the main sources of jobs in the sector.

According to the IEA, the energy sector employed 76 million people in 2024, more than 5 million above 2019 levels. The electricity segment has become the largest employer, ahead of fossil fuels, after several years of investment aimed at boosting generation and modernizing networks.

The report attributes this growth to value chains linked to batteries and electric vehicles, which created nearly 800 000 jobs in 2024. On the African continent, data reported in the business press citing the IEA indicate that employment in solar photovoltaic grew 23 % in 2025, even though Africa accounts for only about 3 % of total global employment in the segment.

This growth reflects the spread of solar installations and the increase in energy projects recorded in recent years. Several public and private initiatives have expanded existing capacity amid sustained demand.

The IEA notes that this shift is driving higher demand for technical skills, particularly in solar, grid maintenance, and storage. This underscores the rising importance of electrical trades in a global market undergoing major reorganization.

Changing skill needs are also evident in electrification projects across the continent. The World Bank reports that more than 560 000 households were connected to the grid in Mozambique in 2024. The Bank’s Global Electrification Database further indicates that electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa rose from 31 % in 2018 to nearly 50 % in 2024. The United Nations’ Tracking SDG7: Energy Progress 2023 report highlighted that expanding electricity access depends on the availability of technical expertise.

Abdel-Latif Boureima