Government study says U.S. green jobs are growing strong

Government Finds Green Jobs in America Alive and Well Government study says green jobs in America are going strong. With 3.1 million jobs in the U.S. a new study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that any reports on the death of clean energy were greatly exaggerated.

新的Green Jobs study从劳动和统计（BLS），对于这种类型的数据最可靠和无党派源局，表明 - 与一些报道相反 - 在这一部门是活的，非常好，提供了有益的推动了我国经济的重建。

Green jobs have tremendous benefits to the workers who hold them, our environment and our country. And it is these benefits that illustrate why we are investing in a green economy and why we need to continue that commitment moving forward.

Among the highlights of the study:

在美国•310万个就业岗位是在绿色经济。这建立在以前的布鲁金斯学会的研究，有不同的方法（但主要用在同一个数据源）来计算270万名工人在清洁经济，从2010年的早期商务部的研究（再次用不同的方法），这之间找到180万个240万的绿色就业机会。

(By comparison, the oil and gas sector creates slightly less than2.2. million jobsaccording the API, the leading oil industry trade group. With nearly 13 million Americans unemployed, every job is important, but if we're arguing economic benefits and growth, it's noteworthy that the green economy provides over 30% more jobs than the oil and gas sector.)

•绿色经济账户制造业就业岗位近50万就业岗位, "the most among any private sector industry" according to BLS.

•对于那些担心联邦政府的绿色经济中的作用，只有5％在这一领域的工作均与联邦政府。地方政府占公共部门就业（476500）的最大部分，与代表这些工作（228900）的半地下的员工。

•加州有最绿色就业机会（338,400），其次是纽约（248,500），得克萨斯州（229 700），宾夕法尼亚州（182,000），伊利诺伊州（139,800）和俄亥俄州（126,900）。有趣的是,石油的d gas sector has a strong presence in most of those states, and I imagine quite bit of energy-related political advertising will be running in the key swing states of PA, IL and OH during the election.

在这多年的过程中，BLS定居在其他团体使用的公认的绿色就业的定义，并调查了能够满足，要么生产的“绿色”产品或提供公司是一个标准的十万家“绿色服务”。这项研究是首次将BLS发布的职位的具体调查中的“绿色商品和服务”美国经济的部门，这将是衡量进展情况（和解决争论）的一个有用工具向前推进，为BLS计划每年更新。

Here are my three key takeaways from this study.

1. With 3.1 million jobs, the BLS study demonstrates the obvious - that green jobs are real, and critical to our rebuilding economy.

It cannot be emphasized strongly enough, especially to the naysayers and critics, that with 3.1 million jobs, this is a very real sector, employing millions of Americans while helping to improve our health and environment. With nearly 13 million Americans out of work right now, the green economy is putting people back to work.

More importantly, the green economy represents a major growth opportunity for America moving forward. Keep in mind that many of these segments are relatively new and have only really been a market presence for a decade or two at most (e.g. clean technologies, efficiency, sustainable products, pollution remediation, etc.).

Other studies, such as theBrookings Clean Economy研究，或E2 Clean Energy Jobsnewsletter, are already finding evidence of strong growth in critical segments of the green economy, many of them these new sectors. Moreover, every other country in the world is also focusing on developing their own green economy, which will provide plenty of demand globally for goods and services of the green economy, and a lot of export opportunities for us if we can take leadership in this sector.

2. These are good jobs for workers and these are good jobs for America.

Certainly the green economy is contributing to reduced pollution and protecting public health -- which are critical priorities. But the BLS study also highlights how the green economy isn't just about keeping kids safe, and our environment clean, it's also about jobs and rebuilding our economy.

Today's green economy is providing stable, high-paying jobs in sectors that are growing rapidly around the world. Further, most of these jobs can't be outsourced (think those in mass transit or pollution remediation, or building retrofits or installing a solar panel), and many of these jobs, especially the 462,000 in the manufacturing sector, are a critical part of American economic resurgence.

These are great jobs for our economy as well -- providing jobs that reduce pollution, protect public health, and build a cleaner, more prosperous future. These are the types of jobs we want to support and promote.

3. There is great importance in continuing to commit to and invest in these green industries.

在过去的几年中，我们在绿色经济的重要组成部分巨大投资，帮助美国重新获得在这些领域的领导地位。然而，许多这些投资只是一次性的，和我们面对不断增长的这一部门的承诺的挑战。

In general, a one-time investment is not the way to grow a long-term and sustained economy - certainty is critical. To take advantage of the opportunities and benefits described above (a cleaner environment, improved public health, more jobs and long-term economic growth), it will be vital that we continue our commitment to and investment in the green economy.

This article originally appeared on the NRDC's Switchboard blog, and is reprinted with permission.

_{绿色安全帽照片通过存在Shutterstock。}