Job seekers have more suitable job opportunities in decarbonization in the Global North than in the Global South

Abstract A just transition to green economy sectors must be grounded in optimizing job matching, that is, suitable opportunities of aligning employers with job seekers, which is critical for meeting a zero-emissions future. However, the interaction between job matching and emission patterns remains...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shi Zhao, Quan Shao, Lei Zhang, Xia Zhou, Huaming Guo, Zhifu Mi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02230-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract A just transition to green economy sectors must be grounded in optimizing job matching, that is, suitable opportunities of aligning employers with job seekers, which is critical for meeting a zero-emissions future. However, the interaction between job matching and emission patterns remains unclear. Here we examine both historical and future trends in this interaction using a global unifying explanation with high-aggregated model. Our findings reveal national-level latitude and wealth effects. In high-latitude regions, 79% of job matching in relatively wealthy nations show a positive correlation with emissions reductions. In contrast, this trend is observed in only 10% of poorer nations located at low latitudes. Introducing the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, our projection shows global job matching will be consistently improved under SSP1-2.6, but only nations in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa will benefit under SSP5-8.5. This work provides a quantitative perspective to plan the low-carbon transition of global labor force.
ISSN:2662-4435