International Report: Over 140 Million People Work in Circular Economy Sectors Worldwide
A new international report published today in Geneva indicates that between 121 and 142 million people globally are engaged in jobs related to the circular economy, including repair, recycling, trade in second-hand goods, and waste management. These activities represent between 5 and 5.8 percent of total global employment outside the agricultural sector.
The report is a collaborative effort between Circle Economy, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank Group, and the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy (UN-PAGE), making it the first comprehensive global analysis dedicated to measuring employment within the circular economy.
The findings reveal that most of these jobs are concentrated in developing countries, with the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions showing the highest rates of circular employment at 6.4 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.
More than half of those working in this economy—over 74 million people—are in the informal sector, lacking social protection or regulatory frameworks. This situation is particularly prevalent in developing countries, where workers performing essential roles for sustainable development and environmental protection belong to among the most vulnerable groups due to low income and lack of job stability.
The report, titled “Working in the Circular Economy: Harnessing Circularity to Create Decent Jobs,” is the result of three years of research aimed at providing policymakers with data and tools to support a fair transition towards a circular economy based on new job opportunities.
Kasper Edmonds from the ILO stated that the report highlights businesses and workers providing essential services, noting that “some innovate while many engage in circularity out of necessity,” emphasizing that supporting this transition alongside enhancing decent work can create sustainable jobs.
Sectors such as repair and maintenance lead circular activities, accounting for 46 percent, followed by the manufacturing sector at 24.5 percent, and waste management at 8 percent. Meanwhile, the construction and mining sectors show the least engagement in this transition, necessitating targeted policies to accelerate their environmental shift.
The report’s authors call for the integration of workers’ rights, social protection, targeted investment, comprehensive training programs, and respect for labor standards within strategies to enhance the circular economy.
Namita Datta from the International Finance Corporation highlighted that the circular economy, being labor-intensive, creates significant local opportunities, especially for women, who make up 26 percent of the workforce in this sector.
Esther Goodwin-Brown from Circle Economy asserted that this is the first global analysis of its kind, confirming a critical data gap that partners are committed to addressing to improve the direction of future policies related to the circular economy.
