Green Job Market Emerges

Democratic presidential candidates have promoted the green economy and green jobs for months on the campaign trail. Is there any substance to it? According to investors and employment data, green jobs are more than campaign rhetoric, and they're poised to save the U.S. economy from recession. Even as the economy teeters on the edge of a downturn, green jobs see notable growth and demand for skilled eco-workers is strong.

It appears that the only parts of the economy that are suffering are those that are dependant on oil, also known as most of our economy. Still, equity fund manager Michael Marks points to an array of private and public sources of green economic growth in a recent Forbes column, saying that growth in green industries is "universally positive". Estimates for green job growth vary widely by region and are especially strong in California.

California's community colleges are taking advantage of the newfound demand for solar workers by planning programs designed to crank out skilled green industry workers. A recent study by the Centers of Excellence found that California's solar industry will see tremendous opportunity for blue-collar growth in the next decade. The jobs will pay solid wages and offer jobs that do not require advanced degrees.  John Carrese, of the City College of San Francisco, explains "You don't need a Ph.D. or a B.A. to get into this industry. It's an opportunity to rebuild the working-class jobs that have been lost. These are good jobs [that] you can support a family on."

The populist opportunities Carrese touched on may offer new economic options to disenfranchised communities. At Oakland, California's Ella Baker Center, green jobs are seen as a way to help people escape poverty. In their Green-Collar Jobs Campaign, founder Van Jones seeks to ensure that green collar jobs help correct issues of equity in the US. The Ella Baker Center has produced a report that shows the positive impact green collar jobs can have in reducing poverty. They are also in the process of raising a billion dollars to launch green-collar job skills programs.

Though domestic industrial and blue-collar jobs have waned over the course of the last century, conditions are ideal for a resurgance. The rising costs of labor in China and developing countries, the demand for clean tech in the US, the scale of the issue and the decentralized nature of green tech development are all strong indicators that we may be enjoying flourishing green economy very soon.