Quantifying solid waste and recycling employment in Florida, USA: Trends in public and private sectors

Waste Manag Res. 2015 Dec;33(12):1127-31. doi: 10.1177/0734242X15607423. Epub 2015 Oct 13.

Abstract

Measuring and tracking the numbers of jobs in solid waste management and recycling industries over time provide basic data to inform decision makers about the important role played by this sector in a state or region's 'green economy'. This study estimates the number of people employed in the solid waste and recycling industry from 1989 through 2011 in the state of Florida (USA), applying a classification scheme based on the Standard Industrial Code (SIC) and utilizing the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) database. The results indicate that solid waste and recycling jobs in the private sector steadily increased from 1989 to 2011, whereas government employment for solid waste management fluctuated over the same period.

Keywords: Green economy; green jobs; policy; recycling; solid waste; waste management.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Employment* / statistics & numerical data
  • Employment* / trends
  • Florida
  • Humans
  • Private Sector / statistics & numerical data
  • Private Sector / trends
  • Public Sector / statistics & numerical data
  • Public Sector / trends
  • Recycling / economics*
  • Solid Waste / economics*
  • Waste Management / economics*

Substances

  • Solid Waste