The economic downturn has hit hard everywhere. As a consequence, nearly everyone is asking: "Where are there jobs?"
Where?
Green jobs are most prevalent in cities like San Francisco (cleantech and green startups abound), Washington DC (policy and nonprofit jobs), and Boulder, CO (a smattering of everything from green beer to eco-event planning). Boston, New York, Portland, San Diego, and Austin are also undergoing a local green renaissance.
For those of you in other states, check out the Environmental Defense Fund's map of green companies to find companies in your area that have an environmental mission.
Why ?
The big question looming out there is, "Why are these jobs centered in these cities?" There's no one-shot answer, but there are a few common themes.
The first is that these cities have a sufficient talent pool to support these businesses. As our workforce restructures nationwide in response to the decline of the auto industry and collapse of various financial institutions -- amongst others -- people are finding new jobs. The hard truth of the matter is that not everyone has the necessary skills to take on a green job -- at least yet. Many of the cities were these businesses have started are known for their highly-skilled, information-age workforce, which is valuable to start-up enterprises. A high concentration of universities is part of the reason businesses come to these areas.
Being close to talent is only part of the equation. The second big driver of where jobs are created is investment. Investment is more likely to happen in cities that put policies in place to support the creation of green jobs. At a time when every dollar counts, investors want to see businesses making smart long-term decisions about where they are located. Cities that have progressive policies in the form of tax breaks, subsidies or other incentive consistently see more business come to their shores.
Last, birds of a feather flock together. Once a few successful green firms get established in a certain city, others are naturally attracted to the region. This is because these new businesses benefit from close ties to existing companies pursuing a similar mission, as well as the fact that the local labor market has already developed.
What Next?
With good chunk of change in the stimulus bill focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and job creation, the centers of power for green jobs are going to change. We've already seen investment go into job training programs in Utah and other mid-Western states. New York and other cities that are hard hit by the economic crisis are also lobbying for federal funds to finance green programs.
As a result, many cities will finally get the necessary investment to stoke green job creation. What they do with this money will largely determine the types of industry that take root in their region. Suffice it to say, there's plenty of green to go around.
Do you have a question for our green jobs expert? Email us here!
As Managing Partner at Bright Green Talent, Nick combines his passions for the environment, social enterprise, and people into a daily commitment to green the US workforce.
