Green Jobs Expected to Rise Under New Administration

On the evening following President Barack Obama’s Inauguration, many are beginning to process what the President’s plans will mean for the green job market. The President has pledged to double the production of renewable energy over three years, create jobs in the development of new energy technologies and increase the energy efficiency of millions of American homes. These tasks can not be performed without skilled individuals, which is why experts are predicting the market for green jobs to skyrocket.

A recently released report named the “Ten Best Green Jobs for the Next Decade.” Among positions listed such as “Conservation Biologist,” “Green MBA and Entrepreneur,”"Urban Planner,” “Recycler” is also listed to grow, especially in the private sector. The total number of recycling jobs in the U.S. is currently estimated to be more than one million. New laws and regulations related to waste and disposal have created a need for companies to close the loop through recycling, especially when it comes to electronic waste.

According to a new American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Management Information Services, Inc (MISI) survey, an estimated 37 million jobs are likely to be created in the renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries in the US by 2030. The report finds:

Jobs in the steel recycling industry are likely to increase as demand for scrap steel increases.

• Renewable energy and energy efficiency currently provide more than 9 million jobs and $1,045 billion in revenue in the US (2007).
• The renewable energy industry grew three times as fast as the U.S. economy, with the solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel and ethanol sectors each reporting a 25 percent increase in revenue growth.
• By 2030, more than 17 percent of all anticipated U.S. employment could be generated from the RE&EE industries.

Predicting the green jobs trend, ScheinMedia recently launched a new website for job seekers in the green building industry. GreenBuildingsJobs.com lists hundreds of green jobs in the real estate and building industry, advertising they are “putting the green economy to work.”

“We want to make it easy for those with the green building skills and employers to find each other,” said Jonathan A. Schein, president and CEO of ScheinMedia. “As there are expected to be over 4 million jobs created in the next decade, this is the ideal time for this type of search vehicle as the nation moves to a more green and sustainable economy.”