Renewable power generation led the way in the quarter. More than 6,700 renewable power generation jobs were announced, which included jobs producing renewable energy from sources like solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. About 3,300 jobs were announced in the manufacturing sector, with advanced vehicle manufacturing and wind manufacturing the lead industries.
While this quarter’s total jobs numbers were higher than the third quarter last year, some of the difference may be attributed to E2 tracking recycling announcements for the first time. Fourteen projects potentially creating 1,300 jobs were tracked in this sector. The largest announcement came from Encore Recycling in California, which expects to create 500 jobs at a facility that can process 100 million pounds of plastic per year, much of it sourced from agricultural companies like Dole and Driscoll.