Engineering jobs are being created in the US thanks to the continued expansion of the solar industry, according to the results of a new report.

The National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the US Solar Workforce found more than 100,000 people are now employed in the industry, with 6.8 per cent extra jobs available in the sector than there were at this time last year.

However, even further expansion is anticipated over the course of the coming years.

Andrea Luecke, executive director of The Solar Foundation, said: "We expect even greater growth in the foreseeable future. But policymakers, workforce training providers and the industry must work together to continue creating good jobs for skilled workers."

According to the most recent Household Survey Data undertaken by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation's unemployment rate currently stands at 9.1 per cent, but the number of jobs available in the construction industry increased by 26,000 during the month of September.

Posted by Fiona Summers