Jobs in the U.S. oil and coal industry fell in 2021 while employment expanded in the green energy sector, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The energy sector employed over 7.8 million Americans in 2021, a 4 percent increase from 2020, the Energy Department said in a report (pdf) released on June 28. Overall, energy jobs grew faster than the U.S. workforce.
In 2021, the fuel sector employed 908,422 people, down 29,270 jobs from 2020. Within fuels, only biofuels registered a positive growth with 1,180 job additions. Petroleum lost 31,593 jobs while coal lost 7,125 jobs. Percentage-wise, job loss in coal was the biggest in the sector at 11.8 percent….