California the Leader in Green Job Creation

Since 2005, California has added “green” environmentally-oriented jobs at a much more rapid pace than non-green jobs, a new report says.

From 2005 to 2007, the number of green jobs grew 10%, to about 105,000 in California, according to the 2009 California Green Innovation Index. During the same period, state-wide job growth was about 1%.

Twenty percent of the green jobs were manufacturing jobs, with the growth spread evenly across advanced materials, transportation, air & environment, and green construction.

From 1995 to 2007, the number of green jobs in California grew 15% and the number of green businesses increased 28%.

Green jobs are defined as ones that provide products and services leveraging renewable energy resources, reducing pollution, conserving energy and natural resources, and re-purposing waste.

The report was issued by Next 10, a Palo Alto non-profit that focuses on the intersection of the economy and the environment.