Bureau of Labor Statistics Green Jobs Initiative

Dixie SommersBureau of Labor Statistics

Association of Public Data Users 2010 Annual Conference

September 20, 2010

BLS green jobs initiative

Goals are to provide information on: Number of green jobs and trends over

time Industrial, occupational, and

geographic distribution of these jobs What these jobs pay

Work began in FY 2010

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Defining green jobs

Definition should be objective and measurable

Use standard classifications to provide comparability to other data

– North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

– Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)

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Defining green jobs

BLS background work Reviewed the literature

– No widely accepted definition

Examined international work– Statistics Canada, Eurostat

Consulted with stakeholders– Federal agencies, industry associations, States

Green Jobs Study Group– http://www.workforceinfocouncil.org/GreenJobs.asp

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Defining green jobs

Solicited public comment March 16, 2010, Federal Register

Notice Further consultation with Federal

agencies during the comment period Final definition and summary of

comments Published in the Federal Register

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Two approaches to definition and measurement Output approach

– Identify establishments producing green goods and services

– Count the associated jobs

Process approach– Identify establishments using

environmentally-friendly production processes

– Count the associated jobs6

Defining green jobs

BLS green jobs definition

Green jobs are either: A. Jobs in businesses that produce

goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.

B. Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

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1. Energy from renewable sources2. Energy efficient equipment,

appliances, buildings and vehicles, and goods and services that improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the efficiency of energy storage and distribution

3. Pollution mitigation; greenhouse gas reduction; and recycling and reuse goods and services

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Categories of green goods and services

4. Organic agriculture; sustainable forestry; and soil, water and wildlife conservation

5. Governmental and regulatory administration; and education, training, and advocacy goods and services

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Categories of green goods and services

Types of green production processes

1. Generating energy from renewable sources for use within the establishment

2. Improving energy efficiency

3. Reducing or removing pollution or greenhouse gases, and recycling or reusing waste materials or wastewater

4. Conserving natural resources

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Based on products or services produced, or duties performed

Does not consider other job aspects Not considering wages, union

membership, worker safety, benefits, career ladders, or similar factors

Users can apply other data

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About the BLS green jobs definition

Not based on whether workers in green jobs need different skills than those in non-green jobs O*NET and other types of data

address this need

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About the BLS green jobs definition

Do not have sufficient information and expertise to use a “net impact on the environment” concept to classify goods and services as green or not green

Will need to update as the set of green goods and services evolves over time (e.g., hybrids may become the norm).

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About the BLS green jobs definition

Identifying green goods and services

Generally designated as green only goods and services that directly benefit the environment Does not automatically include inputs or

distribution of outputs, but evaluates these for direct environmental benefit

Identified 333 detailed NAICS industries where green goods and services are classified. See www.bls.gov/green

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Identifying green goods and services

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Industry sector

Number of establishments,

2009Percent

distributionConstruction 820,700 38.1%

Professional and business services 779,100 36.2%

Other services (Repair and maintenance services, Professional organizations)

183,300 8.5%

Natural resources and mining 88,700 4.1%

Information 77,000 3.6%

Manufacturing 77,700 3.6%

Trade, transportation, and utilities 49,300 2.3%

Public administration 42,100 2.0%

Education and health services 26,400 1.2%

All other sectors 10,400 0.5%

Total 2,154,700 100.0%

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Green Goods and Services (GGS) survey Sample establishments in industries where

green goods and services are classified Present to respondents a description of

green products or services classified in their industry

Request share of revenue accounted for by sale of green goods and services

Use share of revenue as proxy for share of employment

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Measuring green goods and services jobs

Publication goal and example For all NAICS codes where green products

and services found, publish one or more categories of green employment.

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NAICS Industry Employment

221119 Other electric power generation xx,xxx

- Solar power generation x,xxx

- Wind power generation x,xxx

-Geothermal power generation x,xxx

-Other renewable power generation x,xxx

236118 Residential remodelers xxx,xxx

- Green residential remodelers xx,xxx

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Green Goods and Services (GGS) survey Survey instrument development and

field testing underway Sample design underway Survey collection during FY2011 Results in FY2012

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Measuring green goods and services jobs

Collection research and test strategy Phase 1: Cognitive calls

Basic data availability Response environment

Phase 2: Four panels of survey forms mail-out Collectability Question clarity Forms design Methodology Costs, workload, timing

Each panel includes follow-up cognitive calls requesting feedback on the survey forms

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Field testing results so far Revenue is collectable Environmental or “green” standards

seem to be used and understood by respondents

Need to clarify and refine phrasing and layout of questions and instructions

Forms may vary by sector and within a sector, but unique forms for each 6-digit NAICS will not be needed

Measuring green goods and services jobs

Administer the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey to establishments in the industry survey sample Obtain occupational staffing patterns

and wages Overlap of green goods and services

survey sample with regular OES sample Expand OES sample as needed

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Measuring green goods and services jobs

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey Expect to fund States to collect the

additional units Earliest collection will be the May

2011 panel

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Measuring green production process jobs

Special employer survey to measure jobs related to environmentally-friendly production processes Does the establishment use green

practices or technologies? If yes, does it employ any workers

whose duties relate to these practices or technologies?

If yes, collect information on number of workers and their wages, by occupation

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Measuring green production process jobs

Businesses in any industry may use green practices and technologies Produce energy from renewable

sources for use within the establishment

– Example: retail store generates solar power Use of practices and technologies that

benefit the environment or conserve natural resources

– Example: redesigning product packaging to reduce use of plastics

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Measuring green production process jobs

Process approachdata collection Initial development underway; field

testing starting fall 2010 Public comment on approach and

OMB Clearance Survey collection during FY2011 Results in FY2012

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Career information

New career information products Careers in the wind energy industry,

published on the web in September 2010

– www.bls.gov/green

Additional products planned for FY2011 and later

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Contact Information

Dixie Sommers, Assistant Commissioner202-691-5701

Sommers.Dixie@bls.gov