Green jobs
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A green job is defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as a job in a business that produces goods or services that "benefit the environment or conserve natural resources" or a job in which a worker is involved in "making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources."[1]
Background
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a job is considered a green job if it involves the following products and services:
- Energy from renewable sources, including electricity, heat, and fuel generated from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, and municipal solid waste
- Energy efficiency, including equipment, appliances, vehicles, buildings, and other products designed to increase energy efficiency
- Reduction of air pollutants, hazardous wastes, and water pollution
- Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through renewable energy generation and energy efficiency
- Collecting, reusing, or recycling certain materials such as trash or wastewater
- Agricultural production of organic crops
- Soil, water, wildlife conservation and management
- Stormwater management
- Enforcement of environmental regulations
- Education and training related to renewable energy and energy efficiency
In fiscal year 2010, the BLS received funding from Congress to collect data on green jobs. In 2013 as part of a reduction in federal spending known as sequestration, the BLS eliminated funding for collecting employment and business data on green goods and services, data on wages related to green jobs, and green job career information.[2]
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development in a November 2011 report, a green job is directly related to or essential to a particular product, service, or process involving the environment or renewable energy. According to Minnesota's November 2011 survey of green jobs, green job holders spent at least 50 percent of their time in the following areas:[3]
- Renewable energy or fuels such as biofuels and ethanol
- Energy efficiency
- Recycling
- Prevention of air and water pollution
- Natural resource conservation
- Environmental education, regulation, compliance, or research
According to the BLS, there were 2.5 million private sector green jobs (in the occupations described above) in the United States in 2011. In addition, there were 886,080 green jobs at the federal, state, and local levels. Of that total, 424,201 jobs (47.8 percent) were in local government, 248,539 jobs (28 percent) were in state government, and 213,340 jobs (24 percent) were in the federal government.[1][4][5]
Energy in the 50 states
Click on a state below to read more about that state's energy policy.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Measuring Green Jobs," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Green Goods and Services Occupations (GGS-OCC)," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, "Minnesota’s Emerging Green Economy: Green Jobs Report 2011," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Economic Policy Institute, "Counting up to green," October 10, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Green Goods and Services News Release," March 19, 2013
