South Korea’s climate change response sector could emerge as a major source of future jobs, helping offset employment losses in manufacturing, a new study has shown.
The country’s climate-response technology workforce will grow to about 402,000 by 2032 from 284,000 in 2022, an increase of 118,000 jobs, or 41.6 per cent over a decade, according to the latest research by the government-backed National Institute of Green Technology (NIGT).
That represents average annual growth of 3.6 per cent, the study said, based on the latest national survey of climate technology development activities.
By contrast, employment demand in manufacturing – traditionally regarded as a stable source of jobs – is expected to shrink by an average of 0.3 per cent per year between 2023 and 2033, according to projections by the Korea Employment Information Service.
“Employment is projected to decline across many detailed industries, indirectly suggesting that job transitions from other sectors to climate-response technologies are occurring,” the researchers wrote.
The workforce outlook was derived from official statistics that classify climate technologies into 15 mitigation categories and seven adaptation categories. Jobs in mitigation – technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions – are expected to expand far more rapidly than those focused on adapting to climate impacts.
Within mitigation, the fastest growth is forecast in power-generation efficiency, where employment is projected to rise from 33,000 in 2022 to 75,000 by 2032, an annual increase of 8.5 per cent. The sector focuses on improving energy systems and deploying new technologies to minimise emissions.
Employment in solar and thermal energy is also expected to surge, from 29,000 to 61,000 over the same period, growing at 7.8 per cent annually.
Other areas projected to see significant gains include waste resource utilisation, transport efficiency and integrated power and heat systems.
The researchers said investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency tend to generate strong employment effects and net job creation, a pattern reflected in the study.
Growth in the waste-resource sector also aligns with earlier findings that expanding the circular economy could produce large numbers of jobs, they added.
In contrast, employment growth in adaptation technologies is expected to be limited mainly to water management and agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Water-sector jobs are forecast to increase from 24,000 to 33,000 by 2032, while employment in agriculture-related adaptation technologies is projected to rise modestly from 12,000 to 14,000.
The workforce in climate adaptation information and assessment, though small, is expected to grow relatively quickly in percentage terms.
The study found that employment in climate technology development is closely linked to revenue growth. One per cent increase in sales was associated with a 0.31 per cent rise in employment, with changes in revenue explaining about 91 per cent of workforce fluctuations.
However, the projections assume sufficient investment in training and reskilling policies.
The researchers cautioned that employment outcomes could vary significantly depending on government priorities, funding levels and revisions to national greenhouse gas reduction targets or energy plans.
“Timely workforce development programmes and policies are needed in sectors where large increases in personnel are expected,” the study said, calling for tailored approaches.
Production-heavy fields such as solar energy and waste resources would benefit from expanded technical training, while research-intensive areas such as hydrogen, biomass and building efficiency require stronger support for research and development (R&D) personnel.
