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Labor market: Demand for “green” specialties on the rise

Konstantinos Tsakalidis / SOOC

7 out of 10 employers are currently hiring or planning to hire “green” talent and people with sustainability skills

The accelerating pace of the global “green” transformation creates new trends in the labor market. Demand for green skills far outstrips supply as employers look for skilled talents to meet ambitious sustainability goals, according to ManpowerGroup’s new study ‘Green Transformation Putting People First’.

More specifically, 7 out of 10 employers are currently hiring or planning to hire “green” talent and people with sustainability skills.

By investigating recruiters’ efforts to acquire “green” talent and upskill, the study provides a clear definition of different job categories.

Green jobs are current roles that contribute to environmental sustainability but do not require new skills. Greening jobs are existing roles that have a greater impact on environmental sustainability and require some new skills. Green+ jobs are new roles created to accelerate environmental sustainability and will require many new skills.

As stated, “green” skills are the knowledge, non-technical skills, values and attitudes required to live, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.

It also highlights the importance of non-green jobs, which are roles that do not contribute to an employer’s overall environmental sustainability.

Unprecedented demand for “green” talent

According to the study, 70% of employers are currently hiring or planning to hire green talent and people with sustainability skills, with the highest demand in Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing & Construction, in Operation & Logistics positions as well as Information Technology (30%).

The industries with the highest intentions to hire “green” talent
Energy & Utilities (81%), IT (77%), Finance & Real Estate (75%), Manufacturing & Construction (74%) and Transportation & Supply Chain (73%) are the top sectors where employers intend to hire “green” talent to meet sustainability goals.