USA Green Jobs and Green New Deal Manufacturing Jobs

by: Roger H. Bezdek

Abstract

In the USA and other nations there is intense interest in the Green New Deal (GND) and its jobs implications. However, there has not be a comprehensive analysis of the potential jobs impacts of the GND. This paper remedies this deficiency and provides estimates of the jobs likely to be created by the GND, including jobs in the manufacturing sector and specific occupational jobs. We first estimate the current size of the environmental industry in the USA and find that it totals $640 billion in industry sales and 7.8 million jobs. We estimate that the GND would by 2030 generate more than 18.3 million jobs additional throughout the economy. Of these jobs, 2.25 million would be “green” manufacturing jobs, and these are disaggregated by major industrial components (2 and 3 digit NAICS Code). The GND jobs are concentrated within a number of sectors, including manufacturing and professional, information, and scientific, and technical services. Thus, not only is the relationship between the GND and jobs positive, but the types of jobs created are disproportionately scientific, professional, technical, high-skilled, manufacturing, and high-wage jobs – the very types of jobs highly sought after. The vast majority of the GND jobs are standard jobs for accountants, engineers, computer analysts, clerks, factory workers, truck drivers, etc., and classic environmental jobs (environmental engineer, ecologist, conservation technician, etc.) constitute only a small portion of the jobs created. Thus most of the persons employed in the jobs created may not even realize that they owe their livelihood to the GND.

Keywords: Green New Deal, Green New Deal jobs, environmental jobs, green manufacturing jobs, sustainable jobs, renewable energy jobs.

link to material: https://www.ifors.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/USA-Green-Jobs-and-Green-New-Deal-Manufacturing-Jobs.pdf