Oregon has the 5th Largest Share of Total Public Lands in the Nation.

Our public lands provide numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits including the protection of our drinking water and providing habitat for wildlife. They also support tourism and the outdoor recreation economy, and support rural Oregonians. In celebration of Earth Day, Regional Economist Damon Runberg took a a look at the conservation and protection of Oregon's public lands. Here is what he found!

Oregon has the fifth largest share of total land in public ownership (60.4%). Over 37 million acres of Oregon are publicly owned and managed by the federal or state government. The vast majority of this land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management; these two federal agencies manage 55.5 percent of all land in Oregon. However, we also have national and state parks, state lands, and many smaller parcels managed by local cities, counties, and tribes.

To view a more detailed picture of the public land ownership in Oregon, visit the accompanying map on the U.S. Geological Survey site, here.

According to a recent study, by the Outdoor Industry Association, public lands across the nation account for $45 billion in economic output annually and support 396,000 jobs. Here in Oregon the outdoor recreation economy directly employs 172,000 Oregonians with total payroll exceeding $5 billion annually. Public lands are the basic infrastructure that the outdoor recreation economy is built upon. Public lands provide lakes and rivers for fishing, game for hunting or wildlife viewing, trails for hiking and biking, OHV areas for motorsports, mountains for skiing, and camping opportunities.

Across the state there are roughly 5,300 people employed by federal, state, and local governments who are actively engaged in managing conservation programs for our public lands. Around 54 percent of these are employed by federal agencies, with the largest share in the Bureau of Land Management. Oregon has a high concentration of folks who are actively managing these conservation programs, with the ninth highest location quotient (industry specialization) of all 50 states. As would be expected, the states with the highest concentration of their employment in conservation programs are western states with large tracts of public lands, such as Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Conservation activities and education programs are more prevalent in the summer months due to better weather and easier access. As a result, employment in public conservation programs is highly seasonal, with summer employment more than 22 percent higher than employment during the winter months. These opportunities are spread across the entire state of Oregon. Rural communities with a high share of public land have relatively high concentrations of conservation activity, such as Klamath, Lincoln, Douglas, Crook, Coos, and Malheur counties.

To learn more, read Damon's full article here. 

Renewable Energy Production Jobs in Oregon Totaled 1,825 in 2018.

Earth Day is held every year in the United States on April 22nd as a day intended to raise awareness and invoke an appreciation for the Earth's environment. In honor of the 49th official Earth Day, here is some information about renewable energy production jobs in Oregon!

In the U.S., renewables provided 13 percent of the energy generated in 2017 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In Oregon, three-fourths of the net electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants and other renewable energy resources. Oregon is among the top three hydroelectric power producers in the U.S., accounting for more than 12% of U.S. hydroelectric generation in 2017.

In 2018, there were more than 1,800 jobs in the renewable energy power generation production in Oregon. This includes establishments that are primarily engaged in operating hydropower, geothermal, biomass, wind, and other electric power generation facilities. It excludes establishments that build renewable energy power facilities, and manufacture and install renewable energy technologies.

To learn more, check out economist Felicia Bechtoldt's article here. 

Bud Tender: An Emerging Occupation in Oregon

Marijuana dispensaries are the storefront of the marijuana industry, and the occupation most common in those establishments is a cannabis dispensary technician, also known as a “bud tender.” Those are the people who stand behind the counter with a dizzying array of cannabis flower varieties that are available for sale.

According to dispensary owners, at the end the day, it’s a retail business and the same attributes you would want in someone selling shoes at a shoe store are similar to what you would want in someone working behind the counter at a marijuana store. Employers expect their bud tenders to have excellent customer service skills and be very knowledgeable about the products they are offering.

Wade Hall, the owner of Top Shelf Wellness Center in Phoenix, discussed his employee handbook, which not only covers the usual rules and regulations that any business would expect his employees to know, but also the complex and quickly evolving rules and regulations that apply to the cannabis industry in Oregon. He also tests the knowledge of his employees about regulations and the marijuana industry in general. His bud tenders need to understand the software and computer system that tracks customers and sales, making sure that they abide by laws limiting sales to seven grams per person per day, and that they are collecting accurate taxes on recreational sales as required by the State of Oregon.

One of the rewarding aspects of Mr. Hall’s new business is seeing how cannabis has proven to help his customers, either for pain suppression, appetite increase, or in one instance he told about seizure relief that was previously not obtained through traditional pharmaceutical remedies and prescription drugs.

One of the Top Shelf Wellness Center employees, Dale Nielson III, spoke at length about really understanding how different strains of cannabis, based on their genetics and strain, would affect those who consume it. He had a detailed notebook of chemical compounds that different strains possessed, whether it was an “Indica” or “Sativa” strain, and percentages of compounds such as TCH and CBD – acronyms for some of the chemicals in cannabis that induce an uplifting feeling, or more of a relaxing sensation.

To learn more about bud tenders and trends in sales and customers, read Regional Economist Guy Tauer's full article "Bud Tender: An Emerging Occupation in Oregon". 

Earth Day 2014: Occupations with Green Jobs

Today is the 44th anniversary of Earth Day.  People all over the globe are doing a bit extra today to pay respects to the environment, nature, and living green. In Oregon, we have a significant group of workers that spend every day making a positive impact on their natural surroundings. These are Oregon's green job workers. At last count, green jobs made up 3 percent of Oregon's total employment.

We define a green job as one with essential job duties that provide a service or produce a product in any of these categories:

• Increasing energy efficiency
• Producing renewable energy
• Preventing, reducing, or mitigating environmental degradation
• Cleaning up and restoring the natural environment
• Providing education, consulting, policy promotion, accreditation, or other services supporting the above categories

As part of the Green Jobs Labor Market Information (LMI) Improvement Grant of 2009, the Oregon Employment Department studied 13 occupations extensively that are considered more likely to have duties meeting our green jobs criteria.   Here is a snapshot of the most recent statistics on these occupations based on the Oregon Employment Department's Employment Projections by Industry and Occupation:

The occupations listed here are expected to grow by 21.5 percent between 2012 and 2022.  Occupational growth across all jobs in Oregon is expected to be 15.4 percent. To be clear, not all of those employed in these occupations have green jobs. To be a green job holder, the definition above still needs to be met. However, those employed in the listed occupations are more likely to meet the definition.

This is the first time employment data have been available for solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine service technicians. Wind turbine service technicians are expected to grow more quickly (+34%) than any other occupation of this select group.  

For more information about green jobs in Oregon, visit the Green Info section of our website, QualityInfo.org.  For employment projections on all occupations, see Employment Projections by Industry and Occupation.

Clean Jobs and Cycling

A story from Sustainable Business Oregon reports that Oregon continues to outpace all other states in terms of "clean" jobs. The Denver-based Ecotech Institute gave Oregon the top ranking in its Clean Jobs Index. The index considers renewable energy consumption, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects, and alternative fueling stations, among other factors in rating each state. With an index score of 2.84, Oregon edged out Washington (2.62) for the top "clean jobs" spot nationwide.

Keeping with the green theme, an article in The Oregonian shares findings from the Oregon Bicycle Travel Survey conducted by Dean Runyon Associates. This survey marks the first time the state has put numbers to spending on organized cycling events, races, and other non-commuting cycling trips. According to the survey, recreational bicycle travel accounts for $400 million of Oregon's $9 billion tourism industry.

Recreational cyclists are mostly from Oregon (67%), Washington (10%), and California (8%). They spend an average of $94 per day at restaurants and bars, and $81 per day on accommodations. The Oregonian notes that the impact is particularly large in the Columbia Gorge and Hood River area, where cycling accounts for 15 percent of all recreational travel.

Green Jobs in Oregon's Help Wanted OnLine Ads

Last week the Oregon Employment Department's Workforce and Economic Research Division participated in a panel discussion about green jobs and career opportunities at the Oregon Future Energy Conference. In honor of Earth Day, we're sharing some of the information presented at the conference.

In Oregon, a green job is defined as one with essential job duties in one or more of these areas:

• producing renewable energy,
• increasing energy efficiency,
• preventing, reducing, or mitigating environmental degradation,
• cleaning up or restoring the natural environment, or
• consulting, educating, or providing other services related to any of the above four categories.

In recent years, the Oregon Employment Department has conducted two surveys of green jobs in every industry and region across the state. We found that green jobs made up 3 percent of the workforce in 2008 and 2010. The Conference Board's Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) data series serves as a more current proxy measure of hiring demand. This series tracks green job listings in Oregon. 

The HWOL data from March 2013 show consistency with the Employment Department's previous findings. In March, green job ad volume made up 3 percent of total ad volume statewide. Many of the occupations with the highest green job ad volume in March -- such as heating and air conditioning mechanics and installers, forest and conservation workers, and carpenters -- were also among the occupations found to have the greatest number of green jobs in 2010.

For more information on green jobs in Oregon, visit QualityInfo.org/Green.

Oregon Receives $2.1 Million for Site Cleanup

An article from Sustainable Business Oregon reports that the state and several local governments will receive $2.1 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up contaminated "brownfield" sites. According to Wikipedia "brownfield" refers to land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes that may have low levels of hazardous waste or pollution, where the land has the potential to be reused once it is cleaned up. The funding could give a boost to employment in some former industrial areas, although the effects may not be immediate.

According to the story, Business Oregon -- the state's economic development agency -- will receive $700,00 for a loan fund. The City of Eugene will receive $680,200 to assess clean up sites with leaders from Springfield and Lane County. The Northeast Oregon district will put $400,000 towards site assessments in Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties. Vernonia is also slated to receive funding for assessments. In Troutdale, $200,000 will be used to redevelop a riverfront property that formerly served as a slaughterhouse and rendering plant.

More information on these grant awards is available from the full release on the EPA website.

Renewable Energy Job Outlooks

Sustainable Business Oregon,a publication of the Portland Business Journal, recently reported that three companies will co-locate in Northwest Portland to create a distribution hub for biofuels made from sources such as recycled cooking oil. The Portland Development Commission estimates that the companies will create a combined total of about 21 new jobs.

One of the three firms -- Oregon Oils -- collects used cooking oil from 1,200 Portland-area customers, which primarily include restaurants. Beaver Biodiesel, another involved company, is a biofuels manufacturer with a production capacity of 1.2million gallons per year. The company has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to produce biofuels from high-grade camelina oil supplied by Oregon growers.

The website also reported today that Vestas, the international wind turbine manufacturing company that has its North American sales and service headquarters in Portland, may be taken over by two rival Chinese firms. Vestas has been facing financial uncertainty due to the loss of the U.S. Production Tax Credit, among other factors. There was no indication of what impact, if any, the takeover would have on Oregon-based Vestas employees.

New Report on Green Jobs in Oregon

Green jobs made up 3 percent of Oregon's combined private, state government, and local government employment in 2010. That's according to the Oregon Employment Department's newly-released report, The Greening of Oregon's Workforce: Jobs, Wages, and Training. Oregon had an estimated total of 43,148 green jobs spread across 4,339 employers.Green jobs can be found in every major industry and occupational group, and in every region of the state, but tend to be concentrated in a few industries and occupations. Over three-fourths of all green jobs can be found in five industries: construction (9,912 green jobs); natural resources and mining (8,014); state and local government (5,738); manufacturing (5,313); and professional and technical services (4,876). Nearly one out of every four green jobs in 2010 was in the construction industry alone. Similarly, 45 percent of all green jobs fall into one of 11 occupations, although employers reported at least one green job in 185 different occupations.

Green jobs paid slightly higher wages than non-green jobs in 2010. The average hourly wage for all green jobs was $23.07, compared with $19.83 for all jobs. Green workers in occupations that required higher levels of education generally earned higher wages. About four-fifths of all green jobsthat required a bachelor's or advanced degree paid at least $25.00 per hour.

Similar to overall employment levels across the state, the largest shares of green jobs were reported in the Portland area (41%) and the Willamette Valley (17%). Southern Oregon accounted for 11 percent of all green jobs, and smaller shares were reported in Central Oregon and the Columbia Gorge, along the coast, and in Eastern Oregon.

For more information on green jobs in Oregon, visit the Green Info page at QualityInfo, check out the full green jobs report, or send questions to me (Gail.K.Krumenauer@state.or.us)!

Comparing Green Sector Employment in Oregon

The Oregon Employment Department recently studied the trends in employment, wages, and hours for workers in the state's seven green sectors*. Here are some highlights of their findings:

• Most of the state's green sectors fared better between the fourth quarters of 2005 and 2010 than Oregon industries in general. Covered employment for the seven green sectors in Oregon totaled 45,311 in the fourth quarter of 2005. That figure rose to 46,172 by the fourth quarter of 2010, an increase of nearly 2 percent over the period.
  

• The energy efficiency sector experienced the largest nominal job loss (-574 jobs or 4%) between the fourth quarters of 2005 and 2010. However, the largest share of employment was lost in the green building and development sector (-278 jobs or -12%). Declines in these two sectors were likely tied to the commercial and residential construction industries, which took a particularly hard hit during the Great Recession that began in late 2007 .

• Each of the seven green sectors studied pay relatively high wages. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the median hourly wage for firms of all ownerships in all sectors across Oregon was $16.96. The hourly median wage in Oregon's green sectors ranged from a low of $20.72 in green manufacturing to a high of $39.16 in energy transmission.

You can find more details in the full article, or you delve deeper by looking at the full green sectors report.

*As defined by the Oregon Green Jobs Council

Solar employment and green manufacturing news

Two releases posted on PR Newswire this week have some green jobs news.

First, The Solar Foundation released its second annual report on the U.S. solar workforce. The Solar Foundation estimates 100,237 solar workers nationwide in August 2011, an increase of 6.8 percent from August 2010. That's significantly faster growth than the average national rate of 0.7 percent. Half of the employers surveyed expect to add jobs by August 2012.

The study reports over 3,300 solar jobs in Oregon, which ranks third nationwide for per capita solar jobs.

Get more details from the PR Newswire summary or The Solar Foundation.


Second, PR Newswire released news from The Manufacturing Skills Standards Council on a new green production certification. The green production module helps train and assess front-line manufacturing workers according to national industry-defined standards for green production. Workers and students can earn a nationally recognized green production certificate.

The green production module was designed to include all types of manufacturers. Learn more in the full release.

New green jobs and green sectors info!

As one part of the Employment Department's ongoing green jobs research, the Workforce and Economic Research Division has recently published new information about occupations with green jobs and Oregon's green sectors.

If you want to know about the employment outlook, wages, and necessary training for occupations in Oregon with green jobs, check out our new green occupational brochures! They cover 10 different occupations, ranging from carpenters to plumbers to civil engineers and urban planners.

If your interest is in sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and weatherization, or green building and construction, then you may enjoy our recently released green sectors report. We compare employment, wages, and longitudinal worker trends for seven different green sectors** in Oregon.

Questions about green jobs in Oregon? Visit the QualityInfo green information page!

**As defined by the Oregon Green Jobs Council

New Survey Counts Jobs in Natural Resources

As a part of our ongoing green jobs research grant, the Oregon Employment Department (OED) partnered with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Oregon Field Office (NASS) to survey employers in Oregon's natural resources industries. These industries include: crop production; animal production; forestry and logging; fishing, hunting, and trapping; and agriculture and forestry support activities.

This survey provides valuable information, because the bulk of OED data comes from employers reporting data as a part of Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax records. Since many natural resources employers are exempt from the UI tax, we have limited information about employment in these industries. Until now!

Here are a few key findings from our new report entitled "The Greening of Oregon's Workforce: Natural Resource Jobs and Employer Needs":

• Oregon had an estimated 122,730 workers in the natural resources industries in 2009. Nearly two-thirds of all jobs were in crop production.

• Oregon's natural resources jobs are spread across 102 different occupations. However, the 75,000 farmworkers working with either crops or animals account for three out of every five jobs.

• Employers reported more than 18,500 green jobs in the natural resources industries. That translates to approximately three of every 20 jobs as a green job, a higher rate than was found in our original green jobs survey of all industries in 2008.
  
  
• Few employers reported any significant difference in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for green jobs compared to non-green jobs.
  
  
• Roughly 10 percent of employers in the natural resources industries reported difficulty finding qualified workers.

A brief article describing the results of the survey is available here, and the full survey report will be released soon on QualityInfo.org/Green

Oregon’s Green Environmental Technologies and Services Sector

The “green” environmental technologies and services sector, as defined by the Oregon Green Jobs Council, includes firms involved in nature conservation, civil engineering firms, and environmental clean-up firms.

Employment Department analysts identified 144 Oregon companies in this sector. Eighty-eight of the companies are private-sector firms and 56 are nonprofit or public.

Employment and Wages

The majority of green environmental technologies and services employment is in the following sectors: administrative and support services, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, retail trade, and state and local government.

Many of the jobs within the green environmental technology and service sector are at large employers. Seventy-two percent of employers in this green sector have at least 50 employees, compared with 50 percent of all employers. No employers in this green sector had 500 or more employees.


Within the sector roughly 40 percent of employees earned at least $30 per hour, compared with 20 percent of all employees. The median hourly wage for the green environmental technologies and services sector was $25.00 during the fourth quarter of 2009. Meanwhile, the median hourly wage for all workers was $15.70.

Recessionary Impacts?

The green environmental technologies and services sector outperformed both the economy as a whole and similar industries over the past five years. From December 2004 to December 2009, employment in the green environmental technologies and services sector increased by 23 percent, while employment in all other industries decreased by 3 percent. The green environmental technologies and services sector also outperformed similar industries such as technical services. Similar industries experienced a 10 percent decline in employment over the same period.

Want to know more about this industry sector? Get all the details in the full article, written by Green Jobs Analyst Erica Thatcher (503-947-1713 or Erica.L.Thatcher@state.or.us).

Our Green Jobs Research: Looking Backward and Forward

Do you remember our Green Jobs survey? We mentioned it on the blog waaaaay back in 2009, after we conducted the survey and published results. Among other things, the survey indicated that green jobs account for roughly three percent of the Oregon’s non-federal workforce. Employers said more than 51,000 jobs across the state were related to green activities.

Oregon employers also predicted that the number of green jobs would grow 14 percent from 2008 to 2010. Compared with a statewide employment projection of nine percent growth from 2008 to 2018, the double-digit two-year growth projection seemed…optimistic. If employers' predictions were on the mark two years ago, 14 percent growth in green jobs would have equated to 7,400 new jobs, while statewide employment levels actually declined by 140,000 jobs over the same two-year period.

Meanwhile, a number of high-profile announcements in recent years lauded the growth of green jobs in Oregon, especially where those jobs are expected to be at new manufacturing facilities.

But are there green jobs in manufacturing?

According to employers, Oregon's green jobs are much more likely to be found at companies in the natural resources industry (where 1 in 10 jobs are green) than the manufacturing industry (where 1 in 50 jobs are green). Manufacturing companies only accounted for 8 percent of the green jobs identified in the statewide survey.

Employment changes in industries such as natural resources, construction, and utilities may be a better bellwether for green jobs growth than new manufacturing facilities.

What’s next?

As part of our 18-month “Green Grant” we’ve decided to conduct a second iteration of the statewide green jobs survey. Results will be used to measure how green jobs changed in recent years, and to shed some light on where and how green jobs are growing in Oregon. Results of the study will be published in the fall.

For more information, or to see a list of current green job openings, visit www.QualityInfo.org/Green.

Oregon’s Energy Efficiency Sector

The energy efficiency sector, as identified by the Oregon Green Jobs Council, includes firms involved in weatherization projects and energy efficiency construction. Employment Department analysts identified 750 energy efficiency and weatherization companies in Oregon.

Employment and Wages

The vast majority of jobs in the energy efficiency sector are in the construction (74%) and trade (21%) industries. The remaining jobs are distributed among employers in education and health services, manufacturing, natural resources, and professional and business services.

As the table below shows, two-thirds of workers in the energy efficiency sector are employed at firms with less than 100 employees. Total private employment tends to be more evenly distributed between medium and large employers, with roughly half of employment at firms with less than 100 employees.


People working in this sector have higher wages, on average, than the economy as a whole. Roughly two-thirds of employees in this sector earned at least $20 per hour, compared with about one-third of all private employees. The median hourly wage for the energy efficiency and weatherization sector was $24.93 during the fourth quarter of 2009, while the median wage for all private employees was $15.70.

Recessionary Impacts?

Employment in the energy efficiency sector outperformed similar industries and the economy as a whole during the five-year period from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the fourth quarter of 2009. However, the sector experienced drastic declines in both employment and wages over the one-year period ending in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with the rest of the economy. This likely indicates that the sector experienced significant growth during the housing boom. Energy efficiency firms, like other employers in the construction and trade industries, were hit especially hard by the Great Recession.

Want to know more about this industry sector? Get all the details in the full article, written by Charlie Johnson (Charlie.B.Johnson@state.or.us).

Water Treatment Workers: Some are "green"

What makes "green" wastewater and water treatment system and plant operators different from "regular" ones? The Oregon Employment Department is trying to answer that question by researching the difference between green and non-green workers in similar occupations.

In general, wastewater treatment plant operators are responsible for observing plant conditions, making calculations to determine that the plant is working effectively, and predicting necessary maintenance and facility needs to ensure continued effective operation of the plant. Some examples of the “green” and “regular” tasks of these workers are shown in the table below:


Sometimes Certification is a Condition of Employment

To start out in the field, certification is not necessary for operator personnel as long as the plant operator holds the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Grade I, II, III, or IV certificates. Each grade certification requires passing an exam. While not required by law, many employers may require operator personnel to get certified as a condition of employment.

All grades of certification require at least a High School diploma or GED and enrollment in or completion of a DEQ approved training program. People with an Associate of Applied Science can get credit toward certification.

Want More Info?

Check out the full version of this article, written by Research Analyst Erica Thatcher.

See Oregon's wastewater and water treatment system and plant operator certification requirements at www.deq.state.or.us/wq/opcert/opcert.htm

Visit the Occupational Information Center at www.QualityInfo.org/olmisj/OIC to find information on this occupation including wage rates, job openings, links to training programs, employment forecasts and more.

Visit the U.S. Department of Labor's career exploration site at www.ONETonline.org for more information on this occupation.

A wide range of general information about green jobs can be found at www.QualityInfo.org/green.

Oregon's Green Building and Development Sector

The green building and development sector, as defined by the Oregon Green Jobs Council, includes firms involved in planning and producing energy efficient and environmentally sound homes, buildings, and communities. Analysts identified 89 private sector green building and development entities in Oregon.

Employment and Wages

Many of the jobs in the green building and development sector are at midsized companies. As the table below shows, no large companies (250+ employees) were identified in this sector. Three-fifths (60%) of the companies in this sector had fewer than 100 employees, compared with 44 percent of all employers.

Roughly 35 percent of the employees working in the green building and development sector earned at least $30 per hour, compared with 20 percent for all employees. The median hourly wage for the green building and development sector was $30.46 during the fourth quarter of 2009, while the median wage for similar sector firms was $21.40. Meanwhile, the median hourly wage for all private-sector workers was $15.70.

Recessionary Impacts?
Employment in the green building and development sector outperformed the economy as a whole during the five-year period from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the fourth quarter of 2009. The green building and development sector also outperformed similar industries such as construction.

However, the sector experienced greater decreases in employees over the one-year period ending in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with the rest of the economy. Also, from 2008 to 2009 the average wage decreased by 7 percent compared with an increase in the economy as a whole of nearly 3 percent. This may indicate the sector is still feeling the effects of the housing bubble bursting and its close ties to the construction industry.

Want to know more about this industry sector? Get all the details in the full article, written by Green Jobs Analyst Erica Thatcher.

Residential Energy Efficiency Building Inspectors: Keeping Homes Temperate

What makes residential energy efficiency building inspectors different from other building inspectors? The Oregon Employment Department is trying to answer that question by researching the difference between green and non-green workers in similar occupations.

Tasks
Energy efficiency is in the job title of residential energy efficiency building inspectors, and also in the definition of a green job. However, it is not obvious what tasks or skills are associated with energy efficiency, and we also have limited knowledge of the non-green tasks residential energy efficiency building inspectors perform.

We partnered with WorkKeys to shed some light on these unknowns. A specially trained WorkKeys analyst met with workers in this occupation to learn more about their tasks and skills. Here’s a sample of their tasks:


Workers in this field evaluate structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.

Certification
There are several certifications associated with this occupation, included LEED and Earth Advantage. (More details are available in the full version of this article.) Some types of work in the field of building inspection also require licensing.

More Info?
Energy efficiency building inspectors are a subset within the broader category of construction and building inspectors. As a result, we do not currently have wage data, employment levels, employment projections, or other statistics specifically about energy efficiency building inspectors, but more information about skills, tasks, and training opportunities will be available as our research continues.

The full version of this article is by research analyst Erica Thatcher (503-947-1713 or Erica.L.Thatcher@state.or.us).

Oregon’s Green Transportation Sector

The green transportation sector, as defined by the Oregon Green Jobs Council, includes firms involved in researching and producing electric vehicles, fuel cells, and advanced batteries; providing mass transit; or conducting emissions controls and other tests. Firms were identified using on-line lists and registries. There are 57 public- and private-sector entities in Oregon.

Employment Trends
Ninety percent of workers in the green transportation sector are employed at firms with 100 employees or more (Table 1). Compared with total employment in Oregon, the distribution of jobs within the green transportation sector is sharply skewed toward large establishments. Roughly 43 percent of Oregon’s total employment is at firms with less than 100 employees.

Wage Trends
Compared with all Oregon workers, a slightly larger share of green transportation workers earned high wages in the fourth quarter of 2009. Within the sector roughly 35 percent of employees earned at least $30 per hour, compared with 22 percent for all employees. The median hourly wage for the green transportation sector was $26.51 while the median wage for all employees was $16.84.

Recessionary Impacts?
Employment in the green transportation sector outperformed the economy as a whole during the five-year period from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the fourth quarter of 2009. Compared with the rest of the economy, the sector experienced increases in employment during the one-year period ending in the fourth quarter of 2009. However, from 2008 to 2009, average wages decreased slightly compared with an increase in the economy as a whole. This may indicate the sector is relatively steady compared with other sectors, and was likely not as affected by the recent recessionary cycle as other industries.

Even more details about the green transportation sector are available in the full article, written by Green Jobs Analyst Erica Garavatti.