Digital technologies are increasingly being used to create new business processes or modify existing ones. They enable the adaptation of established business strategies to the challenges of the modern economy. They are also increasingly seen as tools that can provide stakeholders with free access to up-to-date environmental, social and governance (ESG) data on individual economic entities. Considering the growing importance of digital technologies in economic processes and the consideration of ESG issues, the article defines two research objectives. The main objective of the analyses was to identify the main research areas addressed in scientific studies referring to ESG and digital transformation issues. An additional objective of the research was to identify research gaps that may provide a direction for future research, which are related to the issues of the labour market, green economy, ESG and digital transformation. The indicated objectives were achieved based on original conclusions drawn from a review of scientific publications in the Scopus database. A systematic literature review method was applied. Based on a constructed bibliometric query, 228 scientific publications from 2021–2024 were identified in which the issues of ESG and digital transformation were simultaneously addressed. During the analyses, 17 main research areas were identified that were addressed in scientific studies referring simultaneously to ESG and digital transformation issues. The necessity to undertake research on the impact of digital transformation in the field of ESG on the creation of green jobs and the growth of green self-employment was emphasised. Attention was also drawn to the issue of the green skills gap.

Information and communication technologies play a key role in the development of smart cities. At the same time, the negative impact of devices and systems used to process, store, transmit and receive information on the environment is noticeable. Therefore, decision-makers responsible for urban space management are increasingly paying attention to the quality of Internet of Things systems to make them greener. The article defines two complementary research objectives. The first objective of the research was to identify the main research areas addressed in scientific publications that refer to both the green Internet of Things (GIoT) and smart cities. The second objective of the analysis was to identify green research topics addressed in scientific literature on both GIoT and smart cities. To achieve these objectives, a bibliometric review was conducted based on the Scopus database. As a result of the research procedures implemented (including the use of a bibliometric query), 68 scientific publications were selected for analysis, on the basis of which 8 main and 26 green research areas were identified. The discussion emphasised the need to initiate further research related to GIoT and smart cities, focusing, among other things, on green jobs, green management of smart cities, and the development of green smart cities.

Modern technologies are becoming increasingly important for socio-economic development, and one such technology is blockchain. Blockchain technology can play a crucial role in supporting the development of a circular economy. The use of this technology can contribute, among other things, to reducing waste and using resources more efficiently, thereby supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals. The aim of the analysis was to identify green research areas addressed in scientific publications that also referred to blockchain and circular economy issues. This goal was achieved through a bibliometric analysis of data obtained from the Scopus database, using a systematic literature review method. Based on the constructed bibliometric query, 351 scientific publications from 2017 to 2024 were identified, in which both circular economy and blockchain issues were addressed. Through the analysis of authored and indexed keywords, 20 different green research areas were identified and visualized on three bibliometric maps using VOSviewer software. The necessity of continuing research on green topics was emphasized, particularly the importance of further studies on green blockchain in the context of a circular economy. The need to analyze the impact of blockchain technology on the creation of green jobs was also highlighted.

In the socio-economic reality, continuous changes occur that affect the operations of individual enterprises and institutions, as well as specific sectors or even the entire economy. Currently, a significant portion of these transformations stems from green and digital transformation processes. Although these transformations have different objectives, it is evident that their common denominator is the pursuit of sustainable development through innovation. This aspect can be observed, for instance, in the digitalization of the financial sector, particularly through the lens of green finance. The aim of the analyses was to identify key research directions in scientific publications that address both green finance and digital transformation. To achieve this scientific objective, bibliometric analyses were conducted on scholarly publications indexed in the Scopus database. These analyses were supported by the VOSviewer software, which was used to visualize the analysis results on bibliometric maps. A total of 18 key research areas were identified, one-third of which represented so-called green research areas. At the same time, the analyses are distinguished between cold and hot topics. The conducted studies led to the conclusion that further development of green research areas can be expected in the future. Particular attention was also drawn to promising future green research directions related to the creation of green jobs, the demand for green skills, and green management within entities in the financial sector.

This article explores the opportunities and challenges associated with the creation of green jobs in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector. Drawing upon a targeted literature review of publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, the study identifies key directions for green job creation, including roles in the design and development, implementation, and monitoring of green ICT technologies. It also maps out systemic barriers such as definitional ambiguity, insufficient integration of sustainability into education and training, skills gaps, and high technological costs. A novel contribution of the study lies in emphasizing the benefits of green jobs in the ICT sector not only for the economy, environment, and society, but also for employees themselves -highlighting aspects such as future-proof skills, career satisfaction, and opportunities for green self-employment. The article introduces a functional categorization of green roles and discusses the practical implications for policymakers, educators, and companies. The results point to the urgent need for interdisciplinary educational pathways, standardized certification frameworks, and inclusive labour market policies. The research reveals that green jobs in ICT may emerge through both cost-effective and innovation-driven mechanisms and concludes that the sustainable transformation of the digital sector depends on the engagement of a new generation of ICT professionals equipped with green competences.

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector plays an important role in socio-economic development. Previous research shows that ICT solutions can support the transition of the economy to the path of sustainable development, as well as support the process of its greening. The aim of the research undertaken was to determine future research directions in the context of the green labor market in the area combining ICT, sustainable development, and employment issues. These directions were determined based on an analysis of the undertaken research areas in previous scientific papers included in the Scopus database, which were selected based on a constructed bibliometric query. 106 scientific papers were analyzed. Few references to green labor market issues were found in the scope of the scientific papers analyzed, which referred to issues related to green jobs and green self-employment. Hence, the designated future directions of scientific considerations on the issues of the green labor market are also research gaps. It was concluded that future research referring simultaneously to the issues of employment, ICT and sustainable development in the context of the green labor market should be focused primarily on research around the issues of green competencies (especially the issue of the green skills gap), green jobs (including the categorization of such jobs with a distinction of golden-green jobs) and green social enterprises (the potential of ICT solutions for greening and the creation of new green jobs in such entities).

Financial technologies (FinTech) are increasingly being discussed by researchers from the perspective of their importance in the process of ongoing changes aimed at implementing sustainable development into economic practice. Hence, recognizing a kind of research gap, the identification of green research areas undertaken in scientific studies simultaneously referring to FinTech and sustainable development issues was identified as the purpose of the article. The study used the method of systematic literature review. The Scopus database was explored based on a constructed bibliometric query. The result of this query was the selection for analyses of 218 scientific papers from 2017-2023, in which green research areas were searched based on the author’s keywords. The analyses were supported by the VOSviewer software, which allows visualization on bibliometric maps, identification and counting of author keywords. The analyses based on the scientific publications selected for the study led to the identification of 19 different green research areas, with green finance, green innovation and green FinTech being the three most frequently mentioned. The emerging distinction between FinTech and green FinTech implies future research directions in the context of FinTech issues related to sustainable development. In addition, future research should target at least issues related to the green labor market, especially the identification of green jobs in the financial sector and their distribution, in terms of which golden-green jobs would be singled out.

This paper explores the integral connections between Information Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and self-employment, with a specific focus on fostering sustainable development. Through a comprehensive literature review and bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software, this research identifies the current discourse and maps out future research directions that combine IT, ICT, and self-employment with sustainability objectives. Despite the increasing integration of IT and ICT in various sectors, there remains a significant gap in research that links these technologies directly with green practices and sustainable development goals. This study contributes to closing this gap by highlighting how digital tools and technologies can promote environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and social well-being. Particular attention in the undertaken deliberations was focused on demonstrating the role of IT and ICT in promoting the greening of self-employment. Furthermore, within the context of future research, the necessity of addressing a broader research context concerning the role of IT and ICT in creating a green labor market was recognized. In this area, issues related to the flow between green self-employed individuals and green jobs were observed, including a specific focus on the concept of golden-green jobs.

Technologies are increasingly influencing the direction and shape of the development of individual economic sectors. In the case of the financial sector, for example, it is pointed out explicitly that these are financial technologies (FinTech). Such technologies can positively influence in this sector not only its sustainable development, but also its green transformation. The article set two research aims. The primary aim of the analyses undertaken was to identify the main research areas addressed in scientific papers simultaneously referring to FinTech and green finance. In turn, an additional aim of the study was to demonstrate research gaps that represent an interesting direction for future research and are simultaneously related to the issue of the labor market, FinTech and green finance. The indicated aims were achieved based on the author’s inferences based on a review of scientific papers included in the Scopus database. A systematic literature review method was used. Based on the constructed bibliometric query, 52 scientific papers from 2019-2023, in which FinTech and green finance issues were simultaneously addressed, were identified for exploration. The analyses conducted based on the author’s keywords made it possible to identify and visualize in VOSviewer software 27 main research areas addressed in the analyzed scientific papers. In addition to FinTech issues, the issue of green FinTech is addressed. The need for research in the context of the impact of FinTech and green FinTech in green finance on green transformation in the labor market area is recognized. It was pointed out that research should be undertaken around the issues of green jobs, golden-green jobs, green self-employment, and green social enterprises. In addition, the considerations highlight the issue of green competence.

In this article, the Scopus scientific database was searched, focusing on journals categorized under the scientific subject area of "computer science". Using a bibliometric query, scientific articles in the Scopus database were examined. The article discusses the research problem of identifying green jobs in the field of computer science, aiming to identify current and future key research areas. Unfortunately, only a portion of the results directly relate to the field of computer science, despite the articles being indexed under computer science journals. The articles analyzed were assigned to computer science, but it is not the article itself that is assigned to the discipline of "computer science", but rather the journals and the articles contained within them. The article highlights the potential for interpretative errors in the bibliometric analysis of publications assigned to the "computer science" area, especially when authors solely seek feedback relevant to this field. The article also discusses the limitations of the research and future promising research directions, such as not only "green jobs" but also "golden-green jobs". These two types of jobs are elements of the green labor market and are part of the green economy sector while simultaneously belonging to the field of computer science.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are continuously and rapidly evolving, and these developments can have diverse consequences. ICT solutions are ubiquitous across all sectors of the economy. From a scholarly perspective, it is intriguing to observe the areas of economic activity where ICT solutions are deployed and how these solutions can contribute to the gradual transition of the economy towards sustainability. This article reports on original research aimed at individuals seeking green self-employment opportunities through the utilization of ICT. The study considers the perspective of this specific group of people and the issue of sustainable development as it discusses ICT solutions. Thus, the article identifies two interrelated, equal, and complementary objectives. The first objective is to determine the main areas where individuals seeking green self-employment use ICT solutions. The second objective is to investigate whether ICT solutions can foster the creation of green self-employment opportunities. To achieve these objectives, the study conducts a qualitative analysis of documents that describe economic activities. These documents served as the basis for applying for funding to start a business between 2019 and 2022. Specifically 603 application forms were analyzed. The study identifies key barriers to the implementation of ICT solutions in creating self-employment opportunities and highlights future implications and areas of development for ICT solutions that focus on green self-employment.

This article analyzes the subject of wearables and Sustainable Development (SD) in the scientific literature and is an attempt to present possible implications for Green Jobs (GJs) and the green labor market. There is a growing trend toward purchasing new wearable devices among consumers, which are more and more interested in the SD. These devices combine the functions of many other devices using smart technology and connectivity. They can communicate with other wearables or equipment, such as vehicles, machines, and buildings. Wearables have a wide range of applications. They allow monitoring of vital functions, and behavior, display information, improve communication, help to plan daily activities, and aid decision-making. Therefore, these devices are becoming increasingly important in daily life and business. Wearable technology uses the Internet of Things (IoT) and connectivity to synchronize data between devices. From a scientific perspective, it is interesting to explore how wearables are related to the SD in transitioning the economy toward green economy areas. The main goal of this article is to demonstrate the relevance of wearables to SD in scientific literature. Additionally, this paper aims to outline future implications for GJs, green self-employment, green competencies, and the green labor market. The method adopted in this study was a bibliometric review conducted in the Scopus database with the VOSviewer software support. The results are presented in the form of bibliometric maps and keyword tables. The study's results suggest that wearables have been rarely addressed in the context of managing employees in the workplace from the SD perspective.