Regional Economic Development Institute (REDI)
Workforce and Economic Development Division, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Methods and Tools Used for Estimating Green Jobs and Green Job Forecasting
The Regional Economic Development Institute--within the Division of Workforce and Economic
Development at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College--utilizes several resources, tools, and methods
(briefly described below) to estimate jobs and job growth, including green jobs. The results of this
research are used as the basis for workforce development activities at the college.
Modeling Applications
Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.’s (EMSI) (www.economicmodeling.com/). EMSI provides a webbased suite tools combining to provide the ultimate analysis platform for regional workforce and
economic research. EMSI integrates data from over 90 data sources and includes the following
economic modeling modules:
Economic Forecaster - Industry, occupation, and demographic analysis by state, county, ZIP
or MSAs
Economic Impact - Input-output modeling, economic base, gap analysis, and cluster analysis
Career Pathways - O*NET job skills analysis, career transitions, dislocated worker strategy,
and regional human capital analysis
Educational Analyst – Enables the user to understand its own or a region's postsecondary
educational offerings in relation to labor market demand
GIS - A custom mapping system to visualize labor market analysis on a map
IMPLAN (www.implan.com) is an economic modeling tool that allows a user to create a detailed social
accounting picture and a predictive multiplier model of a regional economy. It can then be used to
conduct impact analyses. IMPLAN is organized in two parts, the IMPLAN Professional® 2.0 software
and IMPLAN® data file(s) relating to the Study Area being analyzed. The Study Area may consist of a
state, county, sub-county area such as ZIP code areas, or group of any of these areas.
Employer Surveys
REDI conducts employer surveys to gather information regarding the numbers of workers they plan to
hire in the next 1-3 years, the skills these workers will need, methods they use to recruit workers,
employment eligibility requirements, barriers to finding and hiring employees they are experiencing,
and other employment-related information.
Secondary Data Sources
The California Staffing Patterns survey is used to create projections of specific occupations and skills
that will grow as a result of the transition to a green economy.
O*NET data and secondary sources are used to map career pathways in sectors.
Occupation data is based on industry data and regional staffing patterns taken from the Occupational
Employment Statistics program (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Wage information is partially derived
from the American Community Survey. The occupation-to-program (SOC-to-CIP) crosswalk is from
the U.S. Department of Education.
Formula Driven Methods for Estimating Green Jobs
When economic modeling, employer surveys, and secondary data sources does are not available or do
not provide sufficient information to estimate green jobs, REDI utilizes one or both of the formuladriven methods below.
LATTC Methods Used for Estimating Green Jobs and Job Forecasting – Page 1
The Center for American Progress/Energy Future Coalition: Rebuilding America cites three sources for
their figure of 12.5 jobs per $1 million invested in building retrofit (Political Economy Research
Institute, National Association of Homebuilders, and Center on Wisconsin Strategy).
The California Energy Commission uses a total job creation method based on the Council of Economic
Advisers’ Estimates of Job Creation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, May
2009 where the total investment in the program is divided by $92,000 per job to estimate the number
of direct jobs created. This is equal to 10.8 jobs per $1 million invested.
Venture Capital Investments
For a longer-term estimate of the potential for green jobs, REDI monitors venture capital investments
in clean and green technologies in the state of California, U.S. and in some cases internationally. The
following online resources are used by the college to gauge venture capital investment activities.
MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and National Venture Capital Association
https://www.pwcmoneytree.com/MTPublic/ns/index.jsp. The MoneyTree Report is a quarterly study of
venture capital investment activity in the United States and is published collaboratively between
PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based upon data from Thomson
Reuters. It is the only industry-endorsed research of its kind. The MoneyTree Report is the definitive
source of information on emerging companies that receive financing and the venture capital firms that
provide it. The study is a staple of the financial community, entrepreneurs, government policymakers
and the business press worldwide.
National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) http://www.nvca.org/. NVCA is the venture capital
industry's source for advocacy, networking, professional development and reliable and timely
information.
Green VC http://www.greenvc.org/. Green VC provides news and resources on green venture capital,
funding, and startups.
Clean Edge http://www.cleanedge.com/. Clean Edge, Inc., founded in 2000, is the world’s first
research and publishing firm devoted to the clean-tech sector. The company, via its publications,
events, and online services, helps companies, investors, and governments understand and profit from
clean technologies. Clean Edge, with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland Oregon, offers
unparalleled insight and intelligence on emerging clean-tech trends, opportunities, and challenges. Its
products and services include:
Market Research – publications including the annual Clean Energy Trends and Clean Tech Job
Trends reports.
NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Stock Indexes – benchmark indexes tracking U.S. clean-energy and
global wind and smart grid infrastructure companies.
Greentech Media http://www.greentechmedia.com/. Greentech Media is a business to business site
covering daily news and market analysis about the end-to-end greentech market. Content is organized
via dedicated solar, smart grid and enterprise channels, and includes coverage of other emerging
market sectors.
CB Insights online venture capital blog http://www.cbinsights.com/blog/category/venture-capital.
BusinessGreen.com’s green capital webpage http://www.businessgreen.com/green-capital/
Patents
In addition to venture capital activities, for a longer-term estimate of the potential for green jobs,
REDI also monitors patents in clean and green technologies in the state of California and U.S. REDI
uses the general patent statistics reports available from the United States Patent and Trademark
Office online at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/reports.htm for this purpose.
LATTC Methods Used for Estimating Green Jobs and Job Forecasting – Page 2