ETC CE Report 2026/4 A just transition to a circular economy: Monitoring jobs, skills, and workforce inclusion
21 Apr 2026
Wim Van Opstal, Dani Sangers, Lize Borms, Susanna Paleari, Imke Schmidt, Andrea Van Acker, Burcu Gözet
This ETC CE report provides the detailed analysis underpinning the EEA briefing ‘Just transition to a circular economy - European Environment Agency (europa.eu)’
The transition to a circular economy is widely expected to generate employment benefits. However, its labour-market implications remain insufficiently understood and unevenly distributed. This report provides a more comprehensive and justice-oriented assessment of how circularity affects jobs, job quality, and skills in Europe. The findings show that, although projections suggest up to 700,000 additional jobs by 2030, existing evidence remains fragmented and current monitoring systems provide only a partial picture of circular employment. Eurostat data capture around 4.4 million circular jobs in 2023, yet do not fully reflect activities such as reuse, repair, and informal work, and would benefit from more socio-demographic detail. The analysis shows that circular transitions involve simultaneous job creation and reallocation across sectors and regions, with varying job quality outcomes and changing skills requirements. Thematic analyses highlight geographical inequalities and the position of vulnerable groups in the labour market. The report concludes that a just circular transition requires improved labour-market monitoring and targeted policy action to support inclusive, high-quality employment across Europe.
