More evidence of solar upward trend with latest workforce numbers

The solar industry is strong, with a workforce that grew more than 20 percent for the third consecutive year, according to the latest National Solar Jobs Census.

The census, conducted by The Solar Foundation, found that the solar workforce is larger than the oil and gas extraction industry and coal-mining industry. Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director of The Solar Foundation, said the solar industry has “once again proven to be a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation.”

Below are some highlights from the sixth annual National Solar Jobs Census.

  • The U.S. solar industry employed 208,859 Americans in 2015, a figure that includes the addition of 35,052 solar workers over the previous year.
  • The employment numbers represent a 20.2 percent growth in solar industry employment in the 12 months preceding November 2015.
  • Solar employment grew nearly 12 times faster than the national employment growth rate of 1.7 percent during the same period.
  • The oil and gas pipeline construction industry, which employs 129,500 workers, lost 9,500 jobs (U.S. BLS) during the same period.
  • Solar employers surveyed expect to add more than 30,000 jobs over the next 12 months. The expected increase of 14.7 percent would bring the count of U.S. solar workers to 239,625 by the end of 2016.

The National Solar Jobs Consensus is conducted by The Solar Foundation and BW Research Partnership. The report includes data collected from more than 19,000 U.S. businesses.

At Aztec Solar, we take pride in providing employment for solar workers around the Sacramento region. We have been doing solar and only solar in Sacramento for more than 36 years. The strong health of the industry is a good example of how popular solar energy is becoming across the U.S. and in California.

Do you want to be part of the solar movement and save on your energy bill at the same time?

Contact us for a free site visit and solar need analysis, or simple give us a call with any questions you may have at 916.853.2700.

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