Words by Smiley Team
In the US, jobs labeled “green” now make up about 6% of the workforce – or about 9 million jobs.
The number is expected to grow to nearly 24 million or 14% of the workforce in the next 10 years according to a report prepared by Working Nation, a non-profit dedicated to analyzing work trends in the US.
Working Nation aimed to find a number representative of the population without under or overestimating too much. These numbers also project that “green” jobs will outpace standard job growth by more than 16 times.
Their definition of a “green” job was anything directly involved or adjacent to the “green economy.” That includes everything from accounting and engineering positions to direct solar panel installation.
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The report also found that individual investments, whether from government firms or investment groups, have a larger proportional impact than investments in other sectors. This is primarily reflected in the jobs created by those investments whether it be scientific or professional.
Colorado is one of the leaders in the US green economy and has the third-largest green workforce in the country.
“Colorado’s a very forward-looking state. We like to lean into trends to have the good jobs of tomorrow rather than the good jobs of yesterday,” Colorado Governer Jared Polis told Working Nation.
The number of green jobs in Colorado is expected to grow by 10.33% over the next five years, well above the national average of 5.7% projected growth. And in other sections of the country policies were implemented by the Biden administration to incentivize green energy.
The Department of the Interior announced recently that two leasing areas off the coast of the Carolinas in the Carolina Long Bay will be available for wind energy. If developed, they could result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting a robust clean energy economy, and the upcoming Carolina Long Bay offshore wind energy auction provides yet another excellent opportunity to strengthen the clean energy industry while creating good-paying union jobs,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “This is a historic time for domestic offshore wind energy development. We will continue using every tool in our toolbox to tackle the climate crisis, reduce our emissions to reach the President’s bold goals, and advance environmental justice.”
DONATE: You can help amplify solutions for the future of work by donating to Working Nation.
SUPPORT: You can also donate to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an organization dedicated to promoting science and sustainability.
