In US, green energy job creation outstripping traditional sectors, says report

The Guardian: America's emerging clean energy economy created new jobs at twice the rate as more traditional industries in the years leading up to the economic downturn, a new study released today claimed. The report by the Pew Charitable Trusts provides the first hard evidence of jobs created by the rising demand for environmentally friendly services, and in the new clean energy sectors like wind and solar. It said such jobs grew at a rate of 9.1% from 1998–2007, easily outstripping job growth in traditional areas of the economy, which was 3.7%. The study stopped before the economic downturn, which has caused steep job losses in the traditional economy. Some 347,000 Americans were put out of work in May alone. However, its authors also noted that the rapid growth came at a time when there was little or no federal government support for clean energy—unlike today when Barack Obama has committed to greening the economy.