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The U.S. clean energy sector had a record employment year in 2023, creating 142,000 new jobs, more than half of all new jobs in the energy sector overall.
Federal policies and investments to promote job growth have had a powerful impact—clean energy employment is growing twice as fast as the entire energy sector and the U.S. economy as a whole.
According to the 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), released today by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), employment in the energy sector will grow by over 250,000 jobs in 2023, 56% of which will be in clean energy.
The USEER 2024 is based on a “record number of” responses from 42,000 companies across the country.
For the first time, unionization in clean energy reached a new milestone, outpacing the energy sector as a whole. Clean energy sectors such as zero-emission vehicles, renewable energy and energy infrastructure saw significant growth.
“As the report shows, union work makes a difference. Employers report that working with unions has made it easier for them to find the skilled workers they need and hire a diverse workforce,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.
5 key findings
- Clean energy leads to job growth. Clean energy jobs grew 4.2% in 2023, more than twice the rate of overall U.S. economic growth of 2%. This growth was seen in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with Idaho, Texas and New Mexico leading the way.
- Increase in jobs in the solar and wind energy sectors The solar and wind energy sectors saw strong gains, with employment growth of 5.3% and 4.5%, respectively. The Department of Energy projects that electricity generation from clean sources will double by 2030 through the Inflation Reduction Act, with solar and wind energy at the forefront.
- Construction boom. The energy construction sector added nearly 90,000 new jobs in 2023, representing growth of 4.5%, almost double the overall construction industry. This includes jobs in renewable energy projects, grid improvements and the construction of new clean energy factories.
- Trade union work on the rise. For the first time, union density in the clean energy sector exceeded the energy sector average of 11%, at 12.4%, reflecting rapid growth in unionized construction and utilities.
- The automotive sector is switching to clean energy. Jobs in the automotive sector are growing, and the fastest growth is in zero-emission vehicles. In the US, jobs in the automotive sector have increased, with employment in clean vehicles increasing 11.4% and creating nearly 25,000 new jobs.
Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said: “Our policies are working. We are now seeing the impact of the investments in infrastructure and anti-inflation legislation on jobs – first in construction, and as America builds more of these factories, we will see hundreds of thousands more.”
Read more: Biden provides $1.7 billion to bring back auto production in eight states
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