In June, a report entitled Job Opportunities for the Green Economy was released. This report includes employment and wage data in 12 states for jobs related to the following green sectors - building retrofitting, mass transit, fuel-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power, and cellulosic biomass fuels. The specific jobs examined in each sector are:
Building Retrofitting - Electricians, Heating/Air Conditioning Installers, Carpenters, Construction Equipment Operators, Roofers, Insulation Workers, Carpenter Helpers, Industrial Truck Drivers, Construction Managers, Building Inspectors
Mass Transit - Civil Engineers, Rail Track Layers, Electricians, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Engine Assemblers, Production Helpers, Bus Drivers, First-Line Transportation Supervisors, Dispatchers
Energy-Efficient Automobiles - Computer Software Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Engineering Technicians, Welders, Transportation Equipment Painters, Metal Fabricators, Computer-Controlled Machine Operators, Engine Assemblers, Production Helpers, Operations Managers
Wind Power - Environmental Engineers, Iron and Steel Workers, Millwrights, Sheet Metal Workers, Machinists, Electrical Equipment Assemblers, Construction Equipment Operators, Industrial Truck Drivers, Industrial Production Managers, First-Line Production Supervisors
Solar Power - Electrical Engineers, Electricians, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Welders, Metal Fabricators, Electrical Equipment Assemblers, Construction Equipment Operators, Installation Helpers, Laborers, Construction Managers
Cellulosic Biofuels - Chemical Engineers, Chemists, Chemical Equipment Operators, Chemical Technicians, Mixing and Blending Machine Operators, Agricultural Workers, Industrial Truck Drivers, Farm Product, Purchasers, Agricultural and Forestry Supervisors, Agricultural Inspectors
State-specific data is presented for Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
In this report “green jobs” are defined as occupations that contribute toward building or producing goods to achieve a ‘green’ marketplace. In addition, it links the idea that green jobs should be sustainable employment opportunities — that is, jobs that pay at least a living wage, offer training and promotional opportunities and some measure of security.
The report was authored by Robert Pollin and Jeanette Wicks-Lim of the Department of Economics and Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and commissioned by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). It was released in cooperation with the Green Jobs for America Campaign, a partnership of the Sierra Club, Blue Green Alliance, United Steelworkers, NRDC and with the Center for American Progress and Green for All.
For more information:
- Job Opportunities For The Green Economy: A State-By-State Picture Of Occupations That Gain From Green Investments (Robert Pollin & Jeannette Wicks-Lim, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, June 2008). State-specific reports available for Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin
- New Report: Millions of U.S. Workers Stand to Gain from Green Industries (Natural Resources Defense Council, June 3, 2008)
