Will African American Workers Benefit from the Green Revolution?

Valerie Wilson, National Urban League Policy Institute

As the United States economy nears the end of what has been the longest recession in post-World War II history, already some are hoping that the “greening of America” will offer a much needed post-millennial jobs boost to the American economy. An important feature of most green economy jobs is that they tend to be domestic by nature; however, patterns of job growth and job placement will either reinforce existing patterns of inequality or offer true mobility. This report reveals that the geographic pattern of new investments and new job growth – be they predominantly in areas with a large green economy infrastructure (and higher share of the African-American population) or those with a fast-growing green economy (but a smaller share of the African-American population) – will prove to be a crucial element in how accessible these jobs are.