Fewer than 1% of workers in ‘green jobs’ across ASEAN, including S’pore: Report
In Singapore, such job opportunities exist in sectors such as construction and utilities.
Fewer than 1% of workers across ASEAN are employed in "green jobs," according to the ASEAN Green Jobs Report released on October 27. The report, which covered several ASEAN countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, used data from LinkedIn to gauge labor demand. Green jobs are those that contribute to environmental quality and provide decent work.
Despite this low share, Singapore had the highest percentage of green jobs among the surveyed countries, with green talent accounting for up to 25.2% of hires in the construction sector and over 30% in the utilities sector, based on LinkedIn job postings from 2024. In contrast, green talent made up about 18.6% of hires in the Philippines' construction sector and roughly 15% to 16% in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The report highlighted the potential for greener practices in agriculture, a sector with significant labor populations in many ASEAN countries. Green talent recruitment may be driven by roles such as health, safety, and environmental managers and sustainability officers, with roles like sustainability managers, sustainability consultants, and directors of sustainability being among the fastest-growing.
The report also identified renewable energy as a sector likely to create many green jobs in the future, potentially over 5.5 million by 2050. However, it noted that renewable energy jobs were poorly identified in existing industry and occupation data, suggesting they should be treated separately. The methodology had limitations, including the availability and skewness of LinkedIn data and differences in data collection methods and definitions among countries.
The report recommended using green potential for workforce and skills planning, considering measures to support renewable energy development, and accounting for digitalization and artificial intelligence in green skills planning.
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