The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released their 2010 assessment of green jobs in the U.S. economy. Michigan has a strong hold in the industry, ranking No. 12 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In 2010 nearly 80,000 Michigan natives worked at businesses “that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources ,” according to the BLS Report. Nationwide, the U.S. had 3.1 million green jobs, accounting for about 2.4% of the country’s total employment.

The BLS report broke rankings down by private/public sector, state, and industry. Local government & manufacturing are two of the top green industries in the United States. In the construction industry, Michigan has the largest proportional green construction presence in the U.S. at 12.2%. The rankings are part of an effort to assess the size of the green economy, which many see as a key part of future job growth.

“We know Michigan is one of the leading states,” said Ed Clemente, president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, a new advocacy group representing business in the renewable-energy sector. “We have a definite foothold,” he told the Detroit Free Press.

This is one of the first estimates to assess the sustainability sector; the “green movement” has been difficult to define by numbers. For more information and to see the full report, please see the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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