A new study destroys President Joe Biden’s claims that his administration’s massive climate agenda will benefit the working class, especially in states that have local economies heavily dependent upon fossil fuel-related industries. The study examined 130 million online employment profiles, representing about 300 million job transitions, to reveal wildly inaccurate findings regarding Biden’s promised benefits and easy transitions from fossil fuel-related jobs into “green jobs.”
President Biden has consistently put forward the idea that his “Bidenomics” approach, which distances the country from fossil fuels, will spark a new era of green manufacturing and employment growth in the United States. However, the study, authored by researchers hailing from the University of Pennsylvania, Wake Forest University, and labor market analytics firm Lightcast, presents a contrasting picture. It reveals that less than 1% of individuals leaving jobs associated with fossil fuels successfully make the shift to green energy employment. Furthermore, the projected benefits of such a shift are unlikely to be uniformly distributed geographically or across different socioeconomic groups.
During a recent speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he celebrated the one-year anniversary of his signature climate and healthcare legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden reiterated his commitment to prioritizing the middle class. He emphasized that a thriving middle class contributes to overall societal well-being, in contrast to the trickle-down economics he aims to move away from.
Biden reiterated his perspective during the same speech, emphasizing the strong link between climate action and job creation.
He stated:
“When I think climate, I think jobs. Not a joke. When I think climate, I think jobs. That’s the future.”
But the research shows a different story from the fairy tale the Biden administration is trying to sell the American people. The study underscored that “most individuals securing green employment do not originate from carbon-intensive sectors” but rather from professions typically classified as white-collar, including roles in sales management, software development, and marketing.
The study further revealed that workers without a bachelor’s degree and those in the older age bracket face considerable challenges when attempting to transition from carbon-intensive roles into green jobs.
Additionally, states such as West Virginia, despite being reliant on fossil fuel-related jobs to fuel their economies, exhibit a notably low rate of transition into green employment.
But different states display varying levels of success in transitioning into green employment. Certain states, like California, continue to demonstrate above-average adoption rates for green energy jobs, as outlined in the study.
These findings validate concerns and criticisms directed at the administration’s aggressive approach to advancing its green agenda. Biden continues to implement stringent regulations on fossil fuel-related infrastructure and production while concurrently offering substantial financial incentives for the growth of green energy sectors. For states like West Virginia, highly reliant on fossil fuels for their economy, this approach is disastrous.
A notable exception seems to be in the case of automobile industrial engineers. The study suggests that these professionals display a relative ease in transitioning from working on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).
But for those in the car manufacturing industry’s front lines, the administration is failing miserably. The United Auto Workers (UAW), historically a steadfast supporter of the Democratic Party, has voiced strong criticism against the Biden administration due to concerns that its electric vehicle (EV) objectives might not align with the best interests of the workers it represents.
The UAW has chosen not to endorse Biden’s reelection campaign thus far. The union’s president, Shawn Fain, characterized the administration’s $9.2 billion loan to Ford and an international company as an arrangement with “no strings attached.” In a statement issued in June, Fain accused the administration of financially supporting a “race to the bottom” with significant public funds.
For the Biden administration, money is no object. Biden allocated considerable resources for legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and infrastructure legislation, with an anticipated cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. The IRA alone allocated nearly $370 billion towards climate-related endeavors, a sum that, according to an analysis by Goldman Sachs, could potentially amount to $1.2 trillion in taxpayer expenditure over the next decade.
While Biden continues his “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” approach to green energy, Americans are discovering that his rabidly progressive agenda removes the most important green of all right out of their pockets.
The nation’s automotive workers can’t rely on pipe dreams and fantasies to feed their families.
