A just transition? Green jobs, good jobs and labour market inclusivity in Scotland

Responding to the climate emergency, governments have pledged to deliver a net zero future. Delivery requires more green jobs and a just transition of good jobs and labour market inclusivity. The problem is that there is no agreed methodology for classifying green jobs. The paper reports the findings from analysis of Scotland, applying the GreenSOC – an adaptation of the green occupation’s classification of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET. The analysis uses the UK Labour Force Survey and webscraped job vacancy data to assess the extent and demand for green jobs as well as the pay and gender composition of these jobs. The findings are mixed. First, there are few new green jobs but a strong greening of existing jobs. Second, while green jobs offer higher wages, they tend to be dominated by male workers. These findings suggest that the employment benefits of the transition to net zero are less inclusive than anticipated and that policy and practice need to adjust. Offering recommendations, the paper provides improved definitional and empirical understanding of green jobs as well as offering insights into how green jobs might be made more inclusive.