Green Jobs FAQs

Does BLS include local and regional food networks or include locally produced foods as green?

Food producers who distribute locally and businesses that purchase locally produced food have adopted an environmentally friendly process that will be covered in the process survey.

Does the BLS definition of green jobs consider criteria such as good wages, union membership, worker safety, benefits, or career ladders?

No. Using such criteria would require BLS to determine, for example, what level of worker safety is high enough for the job to be included as a green job. Making such determinations would be inappropriate for a statistical agency, which must refrain from policy advocacy to main its credibility among data users. However, data users may make use of information on worker safety, wages, and other topics to select jobs from the BLS data that meet their own criteria regarding these topics.

Will BLS collect data on the demographic characteristics of workers in green jobs?

BLS does not plan to collect demographic data in its surveys. However, users may be able to supplement the BLS green jobs data with demographic data from other sources.

The categories of green goods and services are not necessarily independent. The same is true with the categories of green technologies and practices. Will BLS publish data for these categories?

The categories do overlap and are not intended to be mutually exclusive. The purpose of the categories is to establish the scope of green jobs. BLS may decide to tabulate data from the green goods and services survey according to these categories, recognizing that such a tabulation would sum to greater than the total number of green jobs identified, and requires clear explanation to data users. Alternatively, BLS may decide to assign each industry where green goods or services are produced to only one category, so the categories sum to the total number of green jobs identified.

Is the trading of certificates and offsets included as a green service?

Yes, this activity is included. It is categorized in renewable energy or in pollution and greenhouse gas reduction and cleanup, depending on what is being traded.

Where is energy storage and distribution categorized, including the electric power grid and battery technologies?

Improving the efficiency of the electric power grid, including Smart Grid technologies, is in green goods and services category 2, energy efficiency. Electric power distribution services are not included as a green service, consistent with the exclusion of distribution of other green goods and services. Construction of the power transmission facilities to connect new renewable energy sources to the grid is included in category 1, energy from renewable sources.

Does the "energy efficiency" category include both "energy efficiency products" and "energy-efficient production of any product"?

Yes. Both "energy efficiency products" and "energy-efficient production of any product" are included, with the latter identified as a green technology or practice.

Why is the production of organic agricultural products included as a green good, but processing of these products is not included?

BLS has excluded processed organic agricultural products because the processing has no apparent benefit to the environment compared to processing any other food. The benefit to the environment of organic products occurs when they are grown.

Metals, glass, and paper pulp containing recycled content are identified as green goods. Why are products made from metals, glass, and pulp containing recycled content not included?

BLS has excluded the manufacture of intermediate and final goods from materials containing recycled inputs because these goods have no apparent benefit to the environment. The benefit to the environment of materials containing recycled inputs occurs when the materials are created, not when they are used in creation of other goods.

Won't BLS miss jobs related to green goods and services produced by firms classified in NAICS that are not on the industry list?

Establishments are classified into NAICS industries based on the goods or services that account for the majority of their revenue. Establishments not classified into an industry on the BLS list will not be included in the green goods and services survey. If a minority of their revenue is from sale of green goods or services, these goods or services and the jobs related to them will not be identified. BLS is aware of this limitation and notes that the size of this limitation is unknown.

Are self-employed workers included in the BLS count of green jobs?

No. This limitation is imposed by nature of the BLS business list that will be used as the sampling frame.

Why does BLS count jobs in all occupations in the establishment in the green goods and services survey? There does not seem to be a need to count support jobs, such as administrative staff, because their job duties are not affected directly by the green product or service and thus they do not require additional training.

The BLS green jobs definition is not based on skill differences, but instead on the environmental impact of the good or service produced or the production process used. However, data users can select from the occupations BLS identifies as occurring in establishments producing green goods and services which they wish to consider for training offerings.

Why is the distribution of green goods excluded from the BLS definition of green goods and services?

BLS has concluded that transporting or selling a green good has no apparent benefit to the environment compared to transporting or selling any other good.

Last Modified Date: January 25, 2013