Reassessing the Economy-Environment Tradeoff: Do Industry Sectors, Green Jobs Opportunities, and Regulatory Threats Affect Environmental Concerns?

Abstract

Economic effects on environmental concerns assess macroeconomic pressures or microeconomic status differences but overlook environmental and labor scholarly attention to industry contexts. I test whether employed industry, green jobs opportunities, and regulatory threats influence five environmental concern indexes using cross-sectional U.S. General Social Surveys from 2000, 2010, and 2021 and federal administrative data. Findings indicate individuals employed in resource extraction, construction, and manufacturing express less environmental concerns than service sector individuals but vary across dimensions. Resource extraction individuals express less concern for environmental protections and pollution harms. Manufacturing, construction, and utilities individuals are less willing to sacrifice for the environment. Green jobs sub-industry employment is positively associated with more willingness to sacrifice and empowerment to act for the environment. Surprisingly, employment in Environmental Protection Agency regulated sub-industries is positively associated with more willingness to sacrifice for the environment. Findings underscore future research on how industry-based economic contexts shape environmental concerns.

Todd Lu

PhD Student

Todd Lu is a doctoral candidate in the Sociology department at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.