Sustainability mandates and demands for more energy efficiency have created a need for trained professionals to drive sustainable actions. A new report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), the National Solar Job Census 2022, reveals a 3.5% increase in solar jobs over the past two years. The U.S Department of Energy’s United States Energy & Employment Report (USEER) 2023 found that 44% of solar energy employers had difficulty finding qualified applicants due to “opportunities created by the Inflation Reduction Act” and its tax incentives for solar investments .
The report defines solar workers as those who spend 50% or more of their time on related work, with 263,883 employed across US states , District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as December 2022 . This represented an 8,846 job gain year-over-year – a 3.5 % growth rate – with additional workers spending less than half their time on related activities . California led all states in job gains at 2 , 404 followed by New York ( 988 ) , Texas ( 904 ) , Florida(506)and Massachusetts(476). Utility scale markets lost 6 000 jobs while residential increased 11%, adding 9 500 positions overall.. With anticipated growth expected in large scale projects and residential markets this year it is likely that further employment opportunities will be available if domestic facilities are built according to plans announced since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act..
