BlueGreen Alliance | Unemployment Rate Demonstrates Need for Lame-Duck Action on Clean Energy Jobs

Unemployment Rate Demonstrates Need for Lame-Duck Action on Clean Energy Jobs

Following the announcement from the Department of Labor today that the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 9.8 percent in November, the BlueGreen Alliance said Congress must act now to create good clean energy jobs.

December 3, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC (December 3, 2010) Following the announcement from the Department of Labor today that the nation’s unemployment rate jumped to 9.8 percent in November, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director David Foster:

“The United States must take immediate action to spur job growth. With 19 straight months of unemployment at more than nine percent, Congress must act now to create good, American clean energy jobs.

“When this lame-duck session began, the BlueGreen Alliance put forward a job-creation agenda, which included a federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), Home Star, Building Star, job-creating tax credits like the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, and other critical policies. These common sense measures will create good jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

“Right now, there are 15.1 million people unemployed. And right now, there are proven ways to get people out of the unemployment line and back to work. It’s time for Congress to take action to create good, green jobs across the country.”