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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

The number of U.S. jobs in solar energy overtook those in oil and natural gas extraction [bloomberg.com] for the first time last year, helping drive a global surge in employment in the clean-energy business as fossil-fuel companies faltered.

Employment in the U.S. solar business grew 12 times faster than overall job creation, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report on Wednesday. About 8.1 million people worldwide had jobs in the clean energy in 2015, up from 7.7 million in 2014, according to the industry group based in Abu Dhabi.
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The group projects the workforce in clean energy will grow to 24 million by 2030 if United Nations targets are met on climate change and development.

The 58 percent slide in oil prices since June 2014, triggered by Saudi Arabia’s grab for market share, has prompted reductions in employment in the fossil-fuels industry. Many higher-cost producers in the U.S. shale industry, Canada’s oil sands and Brazil’s deepwater-drilling projects have become unprofitable. The transition to clean energy spurred by a landmark deal in Paris involving almost 200 nations is reflected in the global labor market for renewables.

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