Identification of key transformation professions on the basis of the EU taxonomy

As new technologies are implemented and new tasks emerge, employers also require new skills and qualifications from their employees. While decarbonisation can be associated with overall positive employment outcomes according to various studies, temporal and spatial mismatches as well as unequal sectoral dynamics imply varying consequences for each employee individually. This study examines the degree to which different job areas and occupational groups are likely to be affected from transformative dynamics of decarbonisation in the manufacturing sector. The methodology is based on the EU taxonomy, which targets key manufacturing sectors for industrial adaptation and change, i.e. energy-intensive basic material industries and lead markets for the provision of climate-neutral technologies. Based on the distribution of occupational groups by sectors and employment aggregates, the studies shows that production-oriented jobs (in contrast to service-oriented jobs) are particularly exposed to decarbonisation pressures in taxonomy-relevant industries. Identified key occupations share a high exposure to transformation pressures through involvement in either Enabling- or “Green”/ Transition activities. The exposure matrix elaborated provides new starting points to analysis employment dynamics from a macro-perspective.