The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census found that 250,271 Americans worked in solar as of 2017. This represents a 3.8 percent decline, or about 9,800 fewer jobs since 2016, marking the first time solar jobs have decreased since the first National Solar Jobs Census was released in 2010.

Despite the decline in 2017, the annual census has shown a long-term trend of significant growth. Nationally, the solar workforce has increased by 168 percent over the past seven years, from about 93,000 jobs in 2010 to over 250,000 jobs in 2017.

The 2017 trends for solar jobs varied widely by state. Solar jobs increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, including many states with emerging solar markets. Oregon had 3,965 solar workers in 2017, a decrease of 12 percent or 544 jobs since 2016.

More state-level solar census data is available at www.solarstates.org. The complete National Solar Jobs Census is available at www.SolarJobsCensus.org.