Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2023
Bridging the Great Green Divide
The green transition is changing jobs, skills, and local economies. It poses new challenges
but also opportunities, both of which will differ across places within countries.
This report, Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2023: Bridging the Great
Green Divide, provides novel evidence on those risks and opportunities across regions
in 30 OECD countries. It examines the geography of green-task and polluting jobs and
examines the impact of the green transition on gender and socioeconomic inequality
by identifying the characteristics of workers in those jobs. Furthermore, the report
tracks the progress regions have made in greening their labour market over the past
decade. The report provides actionable policy recommendations that can help deliver
a green and just transition. It looks at past and other ongoing labour market transitions
and identifies local success drivers that can help communities prepare for and manage
the impact of the green transition. Finally, it points out actions for ramping up
and adapting local skills development systems to meet the demands of the green transition
and equip their workforce with the right skills for the future.
Available from March 14, 2023Also available in: French
There is a wide variation in the regional distribution of green-task jobs
The share of workers in green jobs ranges from 5% to over 30% across OECD regions,
with green jobs often concentrated in capital regions.
The green transition may widen gender gaps in the labour market
More than two-thirds of green jobs (71%) are held by men and less than one-third (29%)
by women. There is no gender parity in green jobs in any region across 30 OECD countries.
The green transition could drive economic divergence between regions
On average, regions with lower GDP per capita rely more on polluting jobs. The transition
may hit these places hardest, leaving them further behind.
14 March 2023 | 14:00 – 15:10 CET (Paris time) via Zoom
Is the green transition starved of skills?
Which places are winning the race to secure green jobs and talent?
On 14 March 2023, we launched the 2023 edition of the report "Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2023 - Bridging the Great Green Divide".
The launch event was opened by the OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi and featured the main findings of the report, followed by a high-level panel on the impacts of the green transition on local labour markets.