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Supporting US workers through the 'tool belt recession'

04 March 2010

Today, 2.1 million trained construction workers in the US are without a job. Employment in the construction sector and related industries are suffering more compared to other parts of the economy, resulting in sustained high unemployment as well as a high proportion of unused manufacturing capacity.

A new memo from the GCN's US partner, Center for American Progress argues that the burgeoning home efficiency retrofit industry represents a massive and cost-effective opportunity to start putting these workers back on the job and provide a significant boost to local economies.

In the wider energy infrastructure sector, the roll out of smart grid technology can also provide a strong impetus to manufacturing employment in the US. According to recent analysis by the Global Climate Network and CAP, over 400,000 US jobs could be created in smart meter installation and manufacturing between now and 2020, as a direct result of both domestic market expansion and export demand.

Read CAP's latest memo here

Read CAP's contribution to the latest GCN report Low Carbon Jobs in an Interconnected World here