More than one-third of construction jobs in US now "green": report

Reprinted with permission from condo.ca

The growing importance of the global green movement is highlighted in a new report from the US-based construction giant, McGraw-Hill Construction, released at Greenbuild 2011 in Toronto this week. The green construction industry now supports 661,000 green jobs in the US, a third of the entire industry workforce. "Green" jobs are defined as those that involve more than 50 per cent of work on green projects, or the design and installation of uniquely green systems, excluding support or administrative professionals and manufacturing, production or transportation-related services.

According to the study, 35 per cent of architects, engineers and contractors (AEC) now have green jobs. The number is expected to increase to 45 per cent by 2014.

"Green jobs are already an important part of the construction labor workforce, and signs are that they will become industry standard," said Harvey Bernstein, vice president, Industry Insights and Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction. "These numbers reported by the industry match our Dodge green building market sizing; so as green takes over construction activity, so too will green take over the construction workforce."

The research also shows:

• 35 per cent of AEC firms focus on green jobs today.
• 45 per cent of AEC firms expect to have green jobs by 2014.
• Trades jobs (carpenters, HVAC/boilermakers, electricians, concrete/cement masons, and plumbers) are expected to see the greatest growth in green jobs; 15 per cent of trades today are green jobs, and this is expected to increase to 25 per cent in three years.
• Green jobs yield advantages such as more opportunity (42 per cent) and better career advancement (41 per cent), according to respondents.
• Training is essential for getting and maintaining green jobs; 30 per cent of green job workers say they needed major training when they started, and most report that formal education and training programs will continue to be needed. Hiring firms agree; 71 per cent of hiring decision makers maintain that being green-certified increases competiveness.

This study is the first to focus exclusively on design and construction professionals and trades workers. The premier partners include the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects. Other partners include the Society for Marketing Professional Services, National Association of the Remodelers Industry, and the Building & Construction Trades Department of the AFL/CIO.

Harvey Bernstein of McGraw-Hill Construction will discuss the study and other construction industry issues at Greenbuild's "The Green Workforce: Is the Construction Industry Ready for What's Next?" panel today, October 6, at 4 p.m. in room G5325.