According to new data, those with experience in the skilled trades working in California's green energy sector were able to retain their jobs when compared to workers in other parts of the country during the economic downturn.
The 2012 Many Shades of Green: California's Shift to a Cleaner, More Productive Economy report found that the the state's core alternative energy economy showed greater resilience at the height of the downturn, performing better than other sectors by retaining a greater percentage of its workforce.
"We found that the global financial crisis and the mortgage crisis that caused our overall economy to go into a deep dive did not have as damaging an impact on the state's core green economy," stated F. Noel Perry, founder of Next 10, the nonpartisan research group that produced the report.
Overall the San Diego region, the Bay Area and Sacramento showed the greatest ability to retain workers in 15 green industry segments, which include employees with knowledge of the skilled trades, welding training and those who have attended electrician school.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workers with advanced postsecondary training have the potential to earn $500 more per week than those with a high school diploma or less.
