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Solar Jobs Decline Under Tariffs, Report Shows

The Solar Foundation issued the National Solar Jobs Census 2018, which reports an overall decline of nearly 8,000 solar jobs nationwide compared to 2017.

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The Solar Foundation issued the National Solar Jobs Census 2018, which reports an overall decline of nearly 8,000 solar jobs nationwide compared to 2017.

After seven years of steady growth, this is the second year in a row that solar jobs have declined, which the report largely attributes to the solar tariffs that the Trump administration imposed in early 2018 and the uncertainty that solar companies faced in the lead up to this trade decision.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), commented, “The impact these unnecessary tariffs are having on America’s economy and its workers should not be ignored. The damage, from a decline in jobs to a decline in deployment, far outweighs any potential benefits the administration intended. That said, despite this adversity, the U.S. solar industry’s long-term growth trajectories remain strong. Solar is entering new markets across the country each day, delivering communities well-paying jobs and billions of dollars in economic investment each year."

To read The Solar Foundation’s full report and see a complete list of solar jobs by state, go to SolarJobsCensus.org.

 

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