On June 28, the Department of Energy (DOE) released the annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER). This report provides a comprehensive overview of jobs by energy sector across the U.S. and broken down by state. The 7^th annual version of this report shows that clean energy technologies continue to lead to employment opportunities and economic growth. Access the full report and other helpful material here.

Take a look at our key takeaways from the 2022 report below:

1. Energy jobs continue to represent a growth opportunity for the U.S. economy. Energy industries added over 300,000 jobs and grew 4% from 2020-2021, outpacing 2.8% growth in the overall workforce. More than 7.8 million Americans now work in energy.

2. Clean energy is driving much of that growth. Renewable energy, biofuels, transmission, distribution, storage, and energy efficiency all saw growth in employment in 2021. Energy efficiency remained one of the largest employers in energy, with over 2.1 million jobs.  Recent announcements around clean energy deployments have highlighted a number of manufacturing initiatives, particularly in industries like battery technology and offshore wind. Manufacturing reported the highest increase in jobs in 2021 (alongside “other”), with 119,547 new jobs added. Also of note, jobs in electric and hybrid vehicles saw a 25% increase.

3. Further progress is needed to advance diversity and inclusion in the energy workforce. Although the U.S. energy workforce is growing, this economic opportunity is not being realized equitably across the population. In particular, women and Black Americans are underrepresented across most energy industries relative to the overall U.S. workforce and population. To learn more and engage in intentional efforts to promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives in clean energy, read about the Justice40 Initiative and check out our JEDI Action Center.

4. States are leveraging their energy and manufacturing capabilities to pave the way for American-grown energy industries.  In a preview to the 2022 State of Clean Energy release, we can confirm that the most energy jobs were added in Michigan, Texas, and California. Notably, Appalachia and the Midwest also topped the charts for job growth. Electric power generation saw high growth in the Midwest, and West Virginia and Pennsylvania had the highest percent growth for jobs in transmission, distribution, and storage. Florida also gained nearly 15,000 energy employees, with a third of those working in efficiency.

5. Continued growth and technology diversification will characterize the energy jobs of the future. Although the USEER report looks back at 2021, its survey of jobs across the industry demonstrates that the energy industry has expanded beyond fossil fuels, which have seen tumultuous changes in costs driven by overseas conflicts in 2022. The energy industry now includes robust sectors such as manufacturing, renewables, and electric vehicles. The report found that employers in motor vehicles, power generation, energy efficiency, and transmission, distribution, and storage all expect job growth in 2022.

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Want to know more about clean energy growth across the US? CEBN will soon be releasing its annual State of Clean Energy infographics, which provide state-level snapshots of clean energy deployment, jobs, CO₂ emissions, energy efficiency, and local impacts of federal investments in energy R&D. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our latest announcements.