Global Forest Sector Employs 42 Million People, but Gender Gaps Persist – New Report

Forests continue to play a critical role in global employment, supporting approximately 42 million jobs worldwide, according to a new study released by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the Thünen Institute of Forestry.

The report, published Tuesday, provides updated global and regional estimates of forest-sector employment between 2011 and 2022, offering one of the most comprehensive datasets to date. Drawing on annual data from 182 countries, covering 99 percent of the world’s forest area, the study aims to address long-standing gaps in employment statistics within the sector.

Despite the sector’s significant contribution to livelihoods, the findings reveal persistent gender disparities. Women account for about 10.6 million jobs, representing just 25 percent of the global forest workforce.

The report highlights stark regional differences. Europe recorded the widest gender gap in 2022, with 1.8 percent of men employed in the forest sector compared to only 0.5 percent of women. In contrast, disparities were less pronounced across Africa, the Americas, and Asia.

“To help build a more sustainable and resilient forest sector, we need a clear picture of who works in our forests, and that starts with sex-disaggregated data,” said Zhimin Wu, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Forestry Division at FAO. She emphasized that reliable, internationally comparable data is essential for shaping policies that protect both livelihoods and forest ecosystems.

The forest sector remains a key pillar of sustainable development, contributing to national economies through job creation, economic value generation, and environmental conservation.

To improve data accuracy, the three institutions developed a new analytical tool, the Forest Employment (FEM) model. The model produces annual, sex-disaggregated employment estimates across the forest sector and its subsectors, offering policymakers a stronger evidence base for decision-making.

According to the study, forest-sector employment accounted for about 1.2 percent of total global employment in 2022, marking a slight decline of 3.1 percent compared to 2011.

Regionally, Asia continues to hold the largest share of forest-related employment at approximately 1.4 percent of total employment. Europe saw a marginal decline from 1.3 percent in 2011 to 1.2 percent in 2022. Africa experienced fluctuations over the period, peaking in 2016 before dropping to 1.0 percent in 2022, while the Americas remained relatively stable at around 0.8 percent, with minor disruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within the sector, wood and wood product manufacturing dominates, accounting for roughly 58 percent of total forest employment. This is followed by forestry and logging, as well as pulp and paper production.

The FEM model was developed as part of FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, with support from the European Union. It introduces key methodological improvements, including the use of annual data instead of three-year intervals, and incorporates country-specific socioeconomic and labour market indicators to fill data gaps more accurately.

The report underscores the need for targeted policies to address gender imbalances and strengthen the forest sector’s contribution to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.