Bureau of Labor Statistics Green Jobs Initiative

Construction Economics Research Network

October 28,2010

Rick ClaytonChief, Division of Administrative Statistics and

Labor Turnover Bureau of Labor Statistics

BLS green jobs initiative

Goals are to provide information on: Number of green jobs and trends over

time Industrial, occupational, and

geographic distribution of these jobs What these jobs pay Career information on green jobs

Work began in FY 2010 2

Defining green jobs Definition should be objective and

measurable Use standard classifications to

provide comparability to other data– North American Industry Classification

System (NAICS)– Standard Occupational Classification

(SOC)

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Defining green jobs BLS background work

Reviewed the literature– No widely accepted definition

Examined international work– Statistics Canada, Eurostat

Consulted with stakeholders– Federal agencies, CEQ, industry

associations, States Green Jobs Study Group

– http://www.workforceinfocouncil.org/GreenJobs.asp 4

Defining green jobs Solicited public comment

March 16, 2010, Federal Register Notice

Further consultation with Federal agencies during the comment period

Final definition and summary of comments September 21, 2010, Federal Register

Notice5

BLS green jobs definition

Green jobs are either: A. Output: Jobs in businesses that

produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.

B. Process: Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

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1. Energy from renewable sources2. Energy efficient equipment,

appliances, buildings and vehicles, and goods and services that improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the efficiency of energy storage and distribution

3. Pollution mitigation; greenhouse gas reduction; and recycling and reuse goods and services

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Categories of green goods and services

4. Organic agriculture; sustainable forestry; and soil, water and wildlife conservation

5. Governmental and regulatory administration; and education, training, and advocacy goods and services

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Categories of green goods and services

Types of green production processes1. Generating energy from renewable

sources for use within the establishment

2. Improving energy efficiency3. Reducing or removing pollution or

greenhouse gases, and recycling or reusing waste materials or wastewater

4. Conserving natural resources9

Identifying green goods and services

Generally designated as green only goods and services that directly benefit the environment Does not automatically include inputs

or distribution of outputs, but evaluates these for direct environmental benefit

Identified 333 detailed NAICS industries where green goods and services are classified. See www.bls.gov/green

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Identifying green goods and services

(for selected industries only)

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Industry sector

Number of establishments,

2009Percent

distributionConstruction 820,700 38.1%

Professional and business services 779,100 36.2%Other services (Repair and maintenance services, Professional organizations)

183,300 8.5%

Natural resources and mining (organic only) 88,700 4.1%Information 77,000 3.6%Manufacturing 77,700 3.6%Trade, transportation, and utilities 49,300 2.3%Public administration 42,100 2.0%Education and health services 26,400 1.2%All other sectors 10,400 0.5%Total 2,154,700 100.0%

Examples of Industries with green content

Organic corn production (anything organic) Logging (wood chips for biomass) Electric power production from wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric

sources, etc. Nuclear power production Sewage treatment facilities Construction of renewable energy plants or nuclear plants Construction using LEEDS or Green Globes Installation of products eligible for use in LEEDS, EnergyStar, or

Green Globe certified buildings Weatherization or retrofitting of existing buildings Installation of pollution control devices Deconstructing existing structures and salvaging parts for reuse Construction of storm water management structures and systems Manuf. of Energy Star appliances, computers, etc Aluminum smelting - reintroducing recycled cans

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Using well-established, well-recognized “standards” for consistency

Do not have sufficient information and expertise to use a “net impact on the environment” concept to classify goods and services as green or not green

Will need to update as the set of green goods and services evolves over time (e.g., hybrids may become the norm).

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Identifying green goods and services

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Green Goods and Services (GGS) survey Sample establishments in industries

where green goods and services are classified

Present to respondents a description of green products or services classified in their industry

Request share of revenue accounted for by sale of green goods and services

Use share of revenue as proxy for share of employment

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Measuring green goods and services jobs

Publication goal and example For all NAICS codes where green products

and services found, publish one or more categories of green employment.

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NAICS Industry Employment221119 Other electric power generation xx,xxx

- Solar power generation x,xxx- Wind power generation x,xxx-Geothermal power generation x,xxx-Other renewable power generation x,xxx

236118 Residential remodelers xxx,xxx- Green residential remodelers xx,xxx

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Green Goods and Services (GGS) survey Survey instrument development and

field testing underway Sample design underway Survey collection during FY2011 Targeting 120,000 units Results in FY2012 Ongoing annual survey, quarterly

updates 17

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Administer the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey to establishments in the industry survey sample Obtain occupational staffing patterns

and wages Overlap of green goods and services

survey sample with regular OES sample

Expand OES sample as needed18

GGS: Industry data timetable

OMB clearance Nov – March Contractor obtained Nov – Feb Mailout March Collection April -….. Tabulation/publication NLT March

2012 Quarterly updates based on QCEW

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Measuring green production process jobs Process approach data collection

Initial development underway– Field testing started fall 2010

Public comment on approach and OMB clearance

Survey collection during FY2011 Results in FY2012 May be replicated over time

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Career information New career information products

Careers in the wind energy industry, published on the web in September 2010

– http://www.bls.gov/green/wind_energy/home.htm

Additional products planned for FY2011 and later

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BLS Green Products GGS: industry employment OES: occupational staffing

patterns Process survey Occupational career information on

selected green occupations

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Contact Information

Rick Clayton

clayton.rick@bls.gov