Clean energy jobs grew at twice the rate of overall jobs in the U.S. in 2023, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released on Wednesday.
Jobs in that sector grew by 4.2%, or 142,000 positions, last year, compared to a job growth rate of 2.0% in the overall economy, the 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) showed.
The report also revealed that unionization rates in clean energy reached 12.4% in 2023, surpassing a unionization rate of 11% for the entire energy sector, which added 250,000 jobs last year.
Clean energy sectors that experienced the greatest growth last year were zero-emission vehicle and renewable energy, as well as transmission, distribution and storage, according to the report.
Our policies work. This infrastructure and inflation reduction policy is producing construction employment, and as America builds more manufacturing, hundreds of thousands more."US Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm.
"The data clearly show that clean energy means jobs – good jobs, union jobs, and jobs retained – in communities across the country as we race to dominate the global clean energy economy," Granholm added.
Clean energy jobs grew in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2023, led by a 7.7% increase in Idaho, followed by Texas at 6.0%, and New Mexico at 5.9%. The solar and wind sectors reported respective job growth of 5.3% and 4.5% in 2023, the report stated.