Report finds green jobs not all good pay

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has high hopes that millions of "green" jobs will be created by investing billions of dollars in renewable energy, but a report yesterday warned not all those workers would earn good pay.

"Green jobs are not automatically good jobs," the report, which looked at pay practices at renewable energy companies, said. The report was released by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Representative Jay Inslee of Washington, Democrats, a day before hundreds of labor, environmental, and business activists were scheduled to go to Capitol Hill to lobby for good-paying green jobs.

"Our survey results suggest that wind and solar manufacturing workers earn more than the typical employee at a Walmart store, but it would be a stretch to say that all of them have good jobs," the report said.

Wage rates at many wind and solar manufacturing facilities are below the US average of $18.88 an hour for workers employed in the manufacture of durable goods, and average pay rates at some locations fall short of income levels needed to support a single adult with one child.

REUTERS