Study by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy finds significant increase in employment in the Renewable Energy Sector in 2016 – 27,200 employees in Offshore-Wind Sector
A recent study, that was comissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, found a significant increase in employment within the field of renewable energies. According to the study 338,600 people were employed in this field in 2016, displaying an increase of 10,000 employees compared to the previous year. The offshore wind energy sector even saw its total number of employees rise to 27,200, which equals an increase of 20 %.
The study registers two types of employment in the renewable energy sector. It counts those persons, who are directly working in the operation and maintenance of facilities used to generate energy, as well as the employees of companies, who produce such facilities or parts of them, like rotor blades for wind turbines.
The study shows that employment numbers in central fields of the renewable energy sector have remained releatively stable throughout the past years, but also highlights a clear structural change that is caused by the Energiewende: A shift away from conventional sources of energy towards renewable alternatives.
> More information from the BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)