Green jobs continue to grow in the U.S. at a pace that exceeds the average rate of jobs growth throughout the country. In the 2016 annual report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), there was a 22 percent increase in solar employment in 2015, with 194,000 jobs in solar PV alone. IREA estimates that 57 percent of the U.S. solar jobs involve installation, with over 69,000 jobs in residential and 16,000 in commercial installations.
While growth in roof top solar installations is encouraging, particularly in the states with subsidies and incentives, it leads to the question, where are the men and women going to come from to take these new jobs? Even without the growth of solar jobs, roofing contractors around the country are struggling to hire, train and retain their current workforce.