From Polluting to Green Jobs: A Seamless Transition in the U.S.?

By Katharina Bergant, Rui Mano, Ippei Shibata

July 1, 2022

Preview Citation

Format: Chicago

Katharina Bergant, Rui Mano, and Ippei Shibata. From Polluting to Green Jobs: A Seamless Transition in the U.S.?, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2022) accessed September 19, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

What are the implications of the needed climate transition for the potential reallocation of the U.S. labor force? This paper dissects green and polluting jobs in the United States across local labor markets, industries and at the household-level. We find that geography alone is not a major impediment, but green jobs tend to be systematically different than those that are either neutral or in carbon-emitting industries. Transitioning out of pollution-intensive jobs into green jobs may thus pose some challenges. However, there is a wage premium for green-intensive jobs which should encourage such transitions. To gain further insights into the impending green transition, this paper also studies the impact of the Clean Air Act. We find that the imposition of the Act caused workers to shift from pollution-intensive to greener industries, but overall employment was not affected.

Subject: Employment, Environment, Environmental policy, Labor, Labor markets, Wages

Keywords: Employment, Environmental policy, Environmental Regulation, Global, Green and polluting employment, Green job, Green Labor Market Transition, IMF working paper Western Hemisphere department, Labor markets, Polluting employment, Polluting job, Wages

Publication Details

Pages:

36
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2022/129
Stock No:

WPIEA2022129
ISBN:

9798400215094
ISSN:

1018-5941

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