Career Advice & News Center

The environment has been the focus of the federal government and state legislatures for the past year, as many officials are pushing for an eco-friendly movement. Financial incentives have been offered to companies who shrink their carbon footprint and make an effort to use energy-efficent materials, such as cooling systems and compact fluorescent lights.

President Obama recently announced his plan to offer federal funding for homes that are retrofitted, which will not only benefit the environment, but also create jobs, according to the Washington Post. The proposal, which is named "Homestar," will offer $3,000 rebates for families who choose to have energy-saving home renovations. Obama based this program off of the successful Cash for Clunkers initiative last year.

The project has the potential to help as many as 3 million Americans renovate their homes, which would create jobs for workers in construction, manufacturing and heating and air conditions ventilation.

Obama has long touted the importance of job creation. Since he took office, he enacted a $787 billion stimulus package that has created a reported 2 million jobs. The president told the news provider that he believes that this new plan would help create even more jobs.

"This is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea," he said. "It is a common-sense approach that will help jump-start job creation while making our economy stronger."

Eco-friendly jobs have been a hot commodity recently. Because many government agents are pushing for energy-efficiency, more workers are beginning to focus on producing environmentally-friendly materials.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, partly because the government is pushing the energy-efficient issue, environmental jobs are expected to increase at a rapid pace compared to other professions.