The clean energy sector is the top-ranked jobs creator in Pennsylvania. According to the 2020 Pennsylvania Clean Energy Employment report, the industry recorded an 8.7% average job growth, about 7,800 jobs in 2017-2019. Overall job growth state-wide was just 1.9% during that period. It is apparent from these statistics that the clean energy sector is rapidly booming.
However, the report was compiled before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the data only reflects through the last quarter of 2019. The pandemic undeniably shook the industry and the whole global economy. Additionally, the pandemic led to job losses across Pennsylvania as companies laid off employees to reduce operational costs.
About 21,000 (16.2%) clean energy jobs were lost in the state when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the exact economic impact of the pandemic on clean energy sector jobs is not yet known. Groups such as PennFuture and the Renewables Work for PA coalition have been aggressively pushing for clean energy initiatives to help the state offset the pandemic's adverse impacts on the economy.
The clean energy report indicated the median wages for various categories of jobs in the sector, with the median hourly wages for photovoltaic installers at $12.55 and boilermakers at $35 per hour.
What's notable from the report is that 80% of employers encountered difficulties in finding qualified labor. It is critically important for the government and other key industry players to focus on training the workforce to meet the future needs of the energy sector.
Increasing wages during these challenging economic times when companies are struggling to keep afloat is not economically viable. Instead, the state should focus more on creating awareness of clean energy options. The sector is likely to pick up now post-COVID-19, and the demand for labor could increase drastically.
Further, the state should also focus on developing economic policies that can help the companies in the clean energy sector to recover post-COVID-19 pandemic. Policies that stimulate the economy's recovery, such as tax exemptions, incentives, and rebates, are essential.
In conclusion, increasing wages for employees should not be a priority considering the current economic hard times for companies in the clean energy sector. The most important thing now is to help companies to cope and recover from the adverse impacts of COVID-19, which has led to job losses. The state should also focus on training the workforce to meet future labor demands.
