Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 2014

The document provides a comprehensive overview of 'green jobs' in the U.S. and internationally, highlighting the impact of energy efficiency and renewable energy on employment. It notes a significant gap in reliable U.S. data following the elimination of the BLS Green Careers program. Key findings include the dominance of solar and wind in global renewable energy employment, with China as the largest employer, and the high job-creation potential of energy efficiency investments in buildings and transportation.

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 3.4 million green jobs in the United States at the end of 2011, but the agency ceased providing updated 'measuring green jobs' products on March 1, 2013, due to budget cuts from the amended Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.
• Energy efficiency investments in the U.S. are highly effective for job creation; every $1 million invested supports approximately 20 jobs, exceeding the economy-wide average of 17 jobs per $1 million.
• In the U.S. renewable energy sector, the solar industry was the top performer for clean energy job generation in 2013, with nearly 143,000 jobs, including 24,000 new jobs announced that year.
• The U.S. wind energy industry supported 50,500 full-time-equivalent jobs in 2013, and a study predicted that extending the Federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) for four years would support 54,000 additional jobs, while its absence could lead to a 50 percent cut in jobs.
• Globally, the renewable energy sector supported 6.5 million jobs in 2014, with solar photovoltaic (2.3 million jobs) and wind power (0.8 million jobs) being the most dynamic sectors.
• China was the world's largest renewable energy employer in 2013 with 2.64 million people, dominated by the solar photovoltaic sector which employed 1.6 million people.
• In Brazil, renewable energy industries supported 894,000 jobs in 2013, with bioenergy as the largest sector, providing 539,000 direct jobs in bioethanol and 82,000 in biodiesel.
• The European Union supported approximately 1.2 million renewable energy jobs in 2013, with Germany being the largest employer in the EU, supporting 371,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2013.

APA

Xu, Y. (2014). Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 2014. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2014

Chicago

Xu, Yi. Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 2014. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2014. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2014.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Xu |first1=Yi |title=Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 2014 |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=23 December 2014 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2014 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{xu2014jobs, author = {Xu, Yi}, title = {{Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency 2014}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-jobs-in-renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-2014}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }