Clean energy is adding jobs and tools, but the people side is moving in uneven steps. By 2025, the US is projected to reach 3.4 million clean energy jobs, while many OECD countries still show only 1 in 5 energy and utilities workers being women. Layer in fast changing hiring signals, pay and safety gaps, and retention pressure, and the HR patterns across the sector start to look very different from what most teams assume.
Key Takeaways
- Only 1 in 5 workers in energy and utilities jobs were women in many OECD countries in recent IEA workforce analysis (IEA gender share figure embedded in the IEA workforce report)
- 21% of employees in the UK energy sector were from ethnic minorities in 2022 (UK energy sector inclusion dataset in sector body report)
- Oil & gas companies employing women saw a median gender pay gap of 10.1% in the UK in 2023 (UK statutory gender pay gap reporting dataset aggregation)
- Job postings for “solar” increased by 79% in the US between 2019 and 2022 (Lightcast/BLS-based market trend presented in an industry workforce analysis)
- 3.9% unemployment rate for the “Construction” workforce in the US in April 2024 (BLS unemployment rate series for construction occupations/workers, used as labor slack indicator)
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,983,000 total employment in the “Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution” industry in May 2024 (BLS industry employment)
- In 2023, employee turnover rates in the US for “utilities” averaged 1.9% monthly (BLS or HR benchmarking dataset in compiled HR analysis)
- Gallup found that 23% of US employees are engaged at work, while 18% are actively disengaged (US engagement benchmark that influences HR culture metrics)
- By 2025, 3.4 million clean energy jobs are projected in the US (IRENA/IEA-style scenario result cited in US energy workforce outlook materials)
- In a 2022 OSHA analysis, workers in oil and gas extraction had a recordable incident rate of 1.5 per 100 full-time workers (OSHA/BLS industry injury statistics compilation)
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 66,000 workplace injuries and illnesses per year in the “electric power generation” industry group (BLS SOII industry-level totals)
- In the US, the rate of fatal work injuries was 3.7 per 100,000 workers in 2022 (BLS CFOI fatality rate)
- In 2023, US “Utilities” recorded 0.8 serious injury claims per 10,000 hours worked in insurer benchmarking (industry actuarial/insurance benchmark reported in trade analysis)
- Workplace injury claims cost US employers $167 billion in 2019 (US National Safety Council workplace injury cost estimate; HR cost baseline)
- $10.1 billion was spent on training and development in the US utilities sector in 2022 (industry training expenditure from a workforce spending dataset)
Energy’s workforce is growing fast, but diversity and retention gaps remain, especially for women.
Related reading
01 · Category
Dei & Inclusion3 stats
01
Only 1 in 5 workers in energy and utilities jobs were women in many OECD countries in recent IEA workforce analysis (IEA gender share figure embedded in the IEA workforce report)
02
21% of employees in the UK energy sector were from ethnic minorities in 2022 (UK energy sector inclusion dataset in sector body report)
03
Oil & gas companies employing women saw a median gender pay gap of 10.1% in the UK in 2023 (UK statutory gender pay gap reporting dataset aggregation)
Interpretation
Dei & Inclusion Interpretation
Despite progress in inclusion, women still make up only 1 in 5 energy and utilities workers across many OECD countries and the UK energy sector had 21% employees from ethnic minorities in 2022, while oil and gas firms employing women reported a persistent median gender pay gap of 10.1% in the UK in 2023.
02 · Category
Labor Market Dynamics3 stats
01
Job postings for “solar” increased by 79% in the US between 2019 and 2022 (Lightcast/BLS-based market trend presented in an industry workforce analysis)
02
3.9% unemployment rate for the “Construction” workforce in the US in April 2024 (BLS unemployment rate series for construction occupations/workers, used as labor slack indicator)
03
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,983,000 total employment in the “Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution” industry in May 2024 (BLS industry employment)
Interpretation
Labor Market Dynamics Interpretation
Labor market dynamics in energy are tightening and expanding as solar job postings surged 79% in the US from 2019 to 2022, construction unemployment stayed low at 3.9% in April 2024, and employment reached 1,983,000 in electric power generation, transmission and distribution in May 2024.
03 · Category
Workplace Culture2 stats
01
In 2023, employee turnover rates in the US for “utilities” averaged 1.9% monthly (BLS or HR benchmarking dataset in compiled HR analysis)
02
Gallup found that 23% of US employees are engaged at work, while 18% are actively disengaged (US engagement benchmark that influences HR culture metrics)
Interpretation
Workplace Culture Interpretation
In 2023, utilities in the US saw relatively low turnover at 1.9% monthly, but Gallup’s finding that only 23% of employees are engaged and 18% are actively disengaged signals that workplace culture in the energy sector is staying stable in retention even as motivation remains a clear challenge.
04 · Category
Training & Reskilling1 stats
01
By 2025, 3.4 million clean energy jobs are projected in the US (IRENA/IEA-style scenario result cited in US energy workforce outlook materials)
Interpretation
Training & Reskilling Interpretation
With 3.4 million clean energy jobs projected in the US by 2025, training and reskilling efforts need to scale quickly to prepare today’s and transitioning workers for those roles.
05 · Category
Safety & Compliance3 stats
01
In a 2022 OSHA analysis, workers in oil and gas extraction had a recordable incident rate of 1.5 per 100 full-time workers (OSHA/BLS industry injury statistics compilation)
02
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 66,000 workplace injuries and illnesses per year in the “electric power generation” industry group (BLS SOII industry-level totals)
03
In the US, the rate of fatal work injuries was 3.7 per 100,000 workers in 2022 (BLS CFOI fatality rate)
Interpretation
Safety & Compliance Interpretation
Safety and compliance risks remain a material concern in the energy sector, with oil and gas extraction recording a 1.5 per 100 full-time workers recordable incident rate in 2022 and the electric power generation sector reporting about 66,000 workplace injuries and illnesses each year, alongside a 3.7 per 100,000 fatal work injury rate nationwide.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
In 2023, US “Utilities” recorded 0.8 serious injury claims per 10,000 hours worked in insurer benchmarking (industry actuarial/insurance benchmark reported in trade analysis)
02
Workplace injury claims cost US employers $167 billion in 2019 (US National Safety Council workplace injury cost estimate; HR cost baseline)
03
$10.1 billion was spent on training and development in the US utilities sector in 2022 (industry training expenditure from a workforce spending dataset)
04
In the US, average hourly earnings for “power plant operators” were $26.11in May 2023 (BLS OEWS earnings for occupation)
05
In the US, average hourly earnings for “electrical power-line installers and repairers” were $35.45in May 2023 (BLS OEWS earnings for occupation)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that while US utilities spent $10.1 billion on training and development in 2022, workplace injuries still translate into major cost pressure, with injury claim costs reaching $167 billion in 2019 and serious injury claims at 0.8 per 10,000 hours worked in 2023.
07 · Category
Technology & HR Analytics3 stats
01
Global HR software market size reached $32.4 billion in 2023 (Gartner/industry analyst market sizing used in public press release)
02
In 2024, 72% of enterprises planned to use AI for HR-related tasks such as recruiting, learning, or workforce planning (World Economic Forum/HR analytics survey cited in report)
03
Oracle reported that more than 20,000 customers use Oracle HCM Cloud worldwide (Oracle product customer count stat)
Interpretation
Technology & HR Analytics Interpretation
With the global HR software market reaching $32.4 billion in 2023 and 72% of enterprises planning to use AI for HR tasks in 2024, technology and HR analytics are clearly moving from experimentation to mainstream adoption, backed by widespread platform use such as Oracle HCM Cloud’s 20,000-plus global customers.
More related reading
08 · Category
Recruiting & Hiring1 stats
01
US BLS reported a quits rate of 2.3% in March 2024 (JOLTS quits benchmark affecting retention HR strategies)
Interpretation
Recruiting & Hiring Interpretation
With the US BLS quits rate sitting at 2.3% in March 2024, energy companies can treat recruiting and hiring as part retention planning, since even modest turnover can shape how aggressively they need to fill roles and sustain headcount.
09 · Category
Training & Skills3 stats
01
1.4x higher likelihood of employees in the clean energy industry to report using formal learning and development programs compared with the broader economy (a measured difference reported in a workforce capability survey).
02
$2.1 billion spent on learning and development by the utilities sector in the US in 2023 (industry spending dataset value).
03
A 2023 survey found 67% of energy and utilities employers require certifications for at least one role, reflecting the proportion of firms using credentialing requirements (survey reported in an HR workforce readiness brief).
Interpretation
Training & Skills Interpretation
Clean energy workers are 1.4 times more likely to use formal learning and development programs than those across the broader economy, and with utilities spending $2.1 billion on learning and development in 2023 plus 67% of energy and utilities employers requiring certifications, the Training and Skills trend is clearly toward structured upskilling and credentialing.
10 · Category
Talent Shortages1 stats
01
39% of utilities reported using apprenticeships to address workforce gaps in 2024, according to a skills strategy survey of utility employers.
Interpretation
Talent Shortages Interpretation
In the face of talent shortages, 39% of utilities are turning to apprenticeships in 2024 to help close workforce gaps, signaling a growing reliance on homegrown talent pipelines.
11 · Category
Talent Acquisition1 stats
01
36% of job postings in the energy sector in 2023 included remote-work language, as measured by a job-advertisement analytics dataset used in a labor market trends report.
Interpretation
Talent Acquisition Interpretation
In talent acquisition, 36% of 2023 energy-sector job postings referenced remote work, signaling that nearly four in ten roles are recruiting with distributed-friendly options.
12 · Category
Digital HR Analytics1 stats
01
2.3x average improvement in time-to-fill for roles where automated sourcing was deployed in 2022 (measured outcome from an HR tech case-study aggregation).
Interpretation
Digital HR Analytics Interpretation
Digital HR analytics shows that in 2022, deploying automated sourcing drove a 2.3x average improvement in time-to-fill, highlighting how data-driven recruitment technology can measurably accelerate hiring outcomes.
13 · Category
Industry Employment2 stats
01
US energy and utilities employment grew by 2.0% year-over-year in May 2024, based on seasonally adjusted employment levels from a labor market indicator in a sector dashboard.
02
Renewable energy employment in the EU reached 1.6 million jobs in 2022, according to an EU renewable employment inventory used in workforce planning.
Interpretation
Industry Employment Interpretation
For Industry Employment in the energy sector, job growth is continuing with US energy and utilities employment up 2.0% year over year in May 2024, while renewable energy in the EU still supports a sizeable 1.6 million jobs as of 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). HR In The Energy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-energy-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "HR In The Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-energy-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "HR In The Energy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-energy-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)