The US welcomed the addition of 200,000 jobs last month, according to employment statistics. Meanwhile, separate reports show that Colorado’s cleantech industry and scrap recycling are creating green jobs faster than other US sectors.
Employment in Colorado’s cleantech industry rose 32.7% between 2005-2010, compared with a 10% increase at the national level, according to a 2011 study by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC). And cleantech was the only sector in the state that grew in 2010, with 1,600 companies employing over 19,000 workers.
In the past two years, more than 20 solar and wind companies have announced they would expand or relocate to Colorado.
The largest announcement came when Vestas, the world’s leading manufacturer of wind turbines, when said it would invest over $1 billion for four manufacturing plants in Colorado. When the plants reach full operation, Vestas will employ 2,500 people in the state.
According to Metro Denver EDC, Vestas’ commitment led to a ripple effect. Wind suppliers and developers have since looked to the region as a place to expand and relocate.
In 2010 alone, several clean energy companies have moved their headquarters to Colorado: Aluwind, a Vestas supplier, juwi – a Germany- based company in solar and wind, and REpower Systems, a leading turbine producer in Germany.
"Colorado ranks fourth nationally in the total number of clean energy jobs and we’re still growing and adding jobs," says Tom Clark, executive vice president of Metro Denver EDC. "With the National Renewable Energy Lab in our backyard, the nation’s second-highest Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and copious amounts of wind and sunshine, our region truly has become a hub for clean technology."
10,000 Jobs in Scrap Recycling
In other cleantech employment news, the scrap recycling industry added 10,000 jobs between Q1 2010 and Q1 2011, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Estimates put the industry’s total number of jobs in the US at about 113,000.
Despite the lingering effects of the global recession, the industry has grown 40% in value since 2009, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc (ISRI) says.
ISRI Chief Economist and Director of Commodities Joe Pickard adds, "At a time of uneven economic recovery, the scrap recycling industry continues to distinguish itself not only as a vital link in the supply chain, but also as a key source of green job creation just when its needed most."
Earlier this month, ISRI released industry facts and figures showing that in 2010 alone, over 130 million metric tons of metal, paper, plastic, glass, textiles, rubber and electronics, were manufactured from recycled materials.
Valued at more than $77 billion, these materials were manufactured into specification grade commodities by the US scrap recycling industry for sale as valuable feedstock material to industrial consumers in the US and in more than 155 countries around the world. China, Canada, South Korea, Turkey and Taiwan were the top importers.
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