The Solar Foundation’s recently published National Solar Jobs Census 2018 reported an overall decline of nearly 8,000 solar jobs nationwide compared to 2017, according to a post on the website of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Washington, DC. The report said that after seven years of steady growth, this is the second year in a row that solar jobs have declined.
The National Solar Jobs Census largely attributes the decline to the solar tariffs that the Trump administration imposed in early 2018 and the uncertainty that solar companies faced in the lead up to this trade decision. “The impact these unnecessary tariffs are having on America’s economy and its workers should not be ignored. The damage, from a decline in jobs to a decline in deployment, far outweighs any potential benefits the administration intended,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO, in the press release. “We hope this data serves as a wake-up call to the administration that the Section 201 tariffs should be reversed before any more Americans lose their jobs.
“That said, despite this adversity, the U.S. solar industry’s long-term growth trajectories remain strong. Solar is entering new markets across the country each day, delivering communities well-paying jobs and billions of dollars in economic investment each year. The job growth outlined in this report in 29 states, many of them emerging solar markets, is a bright spot that we can build upon with smart policies in place.”
California (76,838); Florida (10,358): and Massachusetts (10,210) lead the nation in solar jobs. To see the state solar employment data, click on the green button below. For more information on solar employment published by the Solar Foundation, click here.