Since Trump tariffs, solar jobs have atrophied

Those tariffs were the result of months of uncertainty in the year prior, as two foreign-owned but US-based solar manufacturers argued to the International Trade Commission that tariffs on cheap imported solar cells and modules were necessary to maintain their business in the US."This uncertainty led to project delays, especially for the larger, utility-scale installations," the Solar Foundation's report notes.Additionally, state-level policies and economic conditions in states with well-established solar industries contributed to job losses. Florida, Illinois, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Washington all added significant numbers of solar jobs, according to the report, despite the overall US dip in solar employment.Currently, the solar industry's jobs are centered around construction, project development, wholesale trade, and distribution. The report surveyed many solar industry employers, and based on those employers' plans to hire or fire in 2019, the Solar Foundation believes that the industry will see a seven-percent increase in jobs, year over year, in 2019.But the foundation counters its optimism in the report with a warning: "The urgent challenge of climate change means the progress we have seen to date is not nearly enough.