Green Job Growth: 2.4% of the US Work Force

Source:  Richard Florida, Atlantic Cities, March 26, 2012.

A new report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that in 2010, 2.4 percent of US workers were employed in green goods and services.  That translates into 3.1 million total jobs of which three quarters are in the private sector (2.3 million).

Washington state ranks eighth in percentage of green jobs with 3.3 percent of the labor force working in the sector.

Richard Florida, writing in Atlantic Cities, suggests that there is a strong correlation between green jobs and states with:

  • Higher incomes;
  • College graduatation; and
  • Knowledge base and creative economies.

He concludes that:  “This analysis is interesting. It suggests that, though the green job sector is likely to grow, it is unlikely to provide a steady supply of lower-skill jobs or substantially bolster the economies or job markets of more heavily industrialized states.”