Energy, the environment, transport: the focal points of the analysis tool

How is the transition to electric mobility affecting employment in the automotive industry? Do the developments in employment in the automotive industry differ in the individual federal states? How are registered job vacancies developing in occupations in the field of renewable energy technology? The tool can be used for a detailed analysis of the changes relating to the ecological transformation in the fields of energy, the environment and transport.

The example of the energy transition: problems filling available job vacancies

The energy transition, for instance, encompasses a variety of transformation projects which affect the areas of energy and transport. These include the expansion of renewable energy (such as solar and wind energy), the phase-out of coal, the expansion of electricity grids, the heat transition through energy-efficient home renovations, ecological heating and the switch to electric mobility.
The developments in the coal and lignite mining sectors, for example, mirror the phase-out of coal. Over the past five years, employment subject to social security contributions has fallen by 57 percent to 1,000 in the coal mining industry and by 31 percent to 6,200 in the lignite mining industry. Notable numbers of people are still employed in lignite mining in North Rhine-Westphalia (3,000). Significant increases in employment have occurred in the electric power distribution industry, by contrast, with the number of employees in roles subject to social security contributions having increased by 21 percent to 241,000 over the past five years.

There are also difficulties in filling vacancies in several of the occupations of importance for the energy transition. These include, in particular, roles in renewable energy technology, occupations in the fields of plumbing, sanitation, heating and climate control as well as jobs in the roofing trade.
In these areas, skilled workers and specialists are very scarce. Shortages are particularly pronounced in the areas of plumbing, sanitation, heating and climate control. In 2024, there were only 146 jobseekers for every 100 registered job vacancies (857 in total) and it took 259 days for the registered job vacancies to be filled and removed from the register (known as the vacancy period; 155 days on average).

“Climate change is one of the key challenges of today, and is fundamentally changing the labour market. At the same time, however, the ecological transformation offers great potential for new and sustainable jobs,” explains Daniel Terzenbach, Chair of the Regions of the Federal Employment Agency. “There is a shortage of skilled workers right now in the field of renewable energy technology, most notably in the areas of sanitation, heating and climate control. In addition to this, new skills need to be added to many traditional occupations and new occupational fields are also emerging. Targeted further training and education will be needed to ensure the success of the ecological transformation in terms of the labour market. That alone will not be enough, though: the areas of education, business and politics need to work hand in hand to create a sustainable and future-proof working world.”

A labour market undergoing a green transition: the information services of the Federal Employment Agency on World Environment Day

•    The interactive tool, which includes an accompanying explanatory video, is available via the following link (currently only available in German): Auswirkungen der ökologischen Transformation auf den Arbeitsmarkt (effects of the ecological transformation on the labour market). Accompanying background information is also available via this link. The tool offers an intuitive user interface with clear graphics and interactive elements. Users can set various different filters and parameters. The tool is based on the extensive data records of the Federal Employment Agency. The interactive statistics illustrate the impact of the ecological transformation on the labour market in the areas of energy, the environment and transport over the last ten years. The areas are categorised according to industrial field and occupation. Information is available on employees, jobseekers, unemployed persons and registered job vacancies. 
•    Additional information is available in the current skills shortage analysis.
•    For more detailed information on the effects of climate change on the German labour market, we recommend the IAB research report (currently only available in German) “Sichtbare und mögliche Effekte des Klimawandels auf den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt” (visible and potential effects of climate change on the German labour market) by Bernd Fitzenberger and Florian Hack and the accompanying interview.