Energy & Science
Virus Guts U.S. Clean-Energy Jobs Gained Since ‘17, Report Says
- Analysis finds 18% of industry workers filed for unemployment
- Group sees 850,000 workers filing for unemployment by June 30
A worker installs a solar panel on a home in Lafayette, California in 2018.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Almost 600,000 U.S. clean-energy workers have lost their jobs since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than double the number of positions that had been created in the industry since 2017, according to a report.
The analysis of U.S. Labor Department data found that nearly 18% of the industry’s workforce had filed for unemployment benefits in March and April, according to the assessment from groups including E2 and the American Council on Renewable Energy. The hardest-hit states include California and Texas, two of America’s biggest renewables markets.