Renewable energy has become a significant employer. Renewable energy (especially wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric) employed nearly 6.5 million people globally at the end of 2013, according to the Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2014 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). The review underlines that the sector continues to play an important role as regards job creation and growth in the global economy. Growth has been constant since 2012 - with the renewable energy sector employing 5.7 million at that time. “The sector is proving that it is no longer a niche, it has become a significant employer worldwide”, Irena states. Among the biggest employers are China (with 2.6 million jobs), Brazil (890,000 jobs), the USA (620,000 jobs) and India (391,000 jobs). Europe accounts for 1.24 million jobs - with 370,000 in Germany and 110,000 in Spain. At the global level, the fastest growing sector is that that of solar photovoltaic - with 2.3 million jobs, ahead of liquid biofuels (1.5 million) and biomass (780,000). By region, demand for solar energy has increased strongly in China, which has enlarged its production facilities. Demand for solar energy is also big in Japan. Wind energy is more used in China and Canada. The situation remains mixed in the USA due to a certain amount of political uncertainty. The offshore wind industry is particularly concentrated in Europe - especially in the UK and Germany. Bio energy, however, provides the second largest number of renewable energy jobs - with the USA remaining the biggest producer of this type of energy, ahead of Brazil. (IL)