The ambitious net-zero transitions currently undergoing in OECD countries are expected to have only a modest effect on aggregate employment. However, some jobs will disappear, new opportunities will emerge, and many existing jobs will be transformed. Across the OECD, 20% of the workforce is employed in green-driven occupations, including jobs that do not directly contribute to emission reductions but are likely to be in demand because they support green activities. Conversely, about 7% is in greenhouse gas (GHG)-intensive occupations.
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Almost one‑in-five Spanish workers is employed in green-driven occupations, in line with the OECD average (Figure 2). However, only 11.5% of workers in this group are actually employed in “new and emerging green occupations”, significantly below the OECD average (14.5%), whereas the rest are employed in jobs that are not new but that are linked to the green transition. Conversely, only 5.4% of the workforce is employed in GHG-intensive occupations, slightly below the OECD average.
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In Spain, men are more likely to be employed in green-driven occupations (around 25% versus 12.5%), but the gender gap is among the smallest across the OECD. Workers that have not completed upper secondary education are also more likely to be employed in GHG-intensive occupations.
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The highest share of green-driven occupations can be found in Aragón, while the highest share of GHG-intensive occupations can be found in Galicia.
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In terms of job quality, low-skill green-driven jobs in Spain tend to have significantly lower wages and labour market security than other low-skill jobs. This suggests that, in the absence of policy measures, low-skill green-driven occupations may be a relatively unattractive option for low-skill workers.
Many high-skilled emission-intensive and green-driven jobs are very similar in their skill requirements, meaning that high-skilled workers can move from emission-intensive to climate‑friendly industries with relatively little retraining. However, this is not the case for low-skilled workers, who will require more retraining to move out of emission-intensive occupations.
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Spain has been particularly active in promoting training for the green transition. The country provides funding for new training and apprenticeship programmes related to the green transition and is one of few OECD reporting to have career guidance initiatives to facilitate transition into green jobs.
The projected changes associated with the net-zero transitions should be contrasted with the employment costs of inaction on addressing climate changes.
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Indeed, 25% of workers in Spain suffer from significant heat discomfort, typically workers in outdoor occupations and workers in process and heavy industries, with potential negative effects on their health and productivity. This share is much larger than that across OECD countries, which stands at 13%.
