Greening the economy involves a shift from high-polluting jobs to environment-friendly jobs. Minimizing the transition costs for affected workers is essential to accelerate decarbonization and reduce displacement costs.
This paper analyses individual-level labour force data from numerous European countries to assess the distribution and transition dynamics of green and high-polluting jobs between 2009 and 2019. It examines the socio-economic disparities in job distribution and the impact of these transitions on different groups, particularly focusing on gender and educational attainment.
The study finds that the shares of green and high-polluting jobs remained stable over the analysed period, indicating a slow green transition in labour markets. Women and individuals with lower educational attainment are underrepresented in green jobs, while high-polluting jobs are predominantly located in rural areas.