US Solar Industry Now Employs More Workers Than Oil & Gas, Says Report

"The US solar industry now employs more workers than oil and gas, a new report from the Solar Foundation claims, with most of the jobs in power panel installation.

Last year, the US solar industry grew by 20% for a third year in a row, according to the foundation’s National Solar Job Census 2015. By the end of 2015, it employed nearly 209,000 solar workers, more than those employed in oil and gas extraction.

However, the growth in the solar industry was not shared equally across all types of jobs. Manufacturing, project development, and sales jobs have all remained steady over the past five years. Only the jobs in installation increased, from 43,934 jobs in 2010 to 119,931 in 2015."

Jana Kasperkevic reports for the Guardian January 12, 2016.

Source: Guardian, 01/13/2016