Report: Maine green jobs grew 4% a year
The state added nearly 3,000 green jobs between 2003 and 2010, outpacing the national average growth in the industry, a new report from the Brookings Institution finds.
The report, "Sizing the clean economy: A national and regional green jobs assessment," says the state had 12,212 green jobs in 2010, jobs part of the sector of the economy that produces goods or services with an environmental benefit. That's a 4% annual growth in green jobs from 2003, higher than the 3.4% national average. Of the total number of jobs in Maine, green jobs made up just 2% last year, and had an average annual wage of $36,460. The report also found that the Portland metropolitan area has 3,591 green jobs that pay an annual wage of $37,612, and that 1.3% of jobs in the area are considered green. Green jobs in the metro area grew 4.2% a year between 2003 and 2010. Out of 100 metro areas in the country, Portland ranked 87 for the size of its clean economy, the report found.
Nationwide, the clean economy employs 2.7 million people. The report studies companies that produce technologies, products or services that provide an environmental benefit, including firms in the sustainable forestry, green architecture and renewable energy technology industries. In the country, clean jobs are found more in the manufacturing and export industries, and they offer better pay for low- and middle-skilled workers. The growth of green jobs in the United States lagged behind the growth of the economy as a whole, which saw a jobs increase of 4.2% a year. The report recommended regions focus on cluster development as a way to boost the growth of green jobs, and that the U.S. government do more to boost available capital for green-economy companies.
CORRECTION: This story was edited to clarify that the growth rates are average annual changes.
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