The U.S. clean energy industry lost at least 10,000 manufacturing jobs last year, part of an overall decline that saw the country shed about 72,000 manufacturing jobs in 2025, according to government figures and a review of public documents by POLITICO’s E&E News.
The job losses hit manufacturers across the clean energy sector, from companies that assemble electric vehicles to businesses that build components for solar panels.
The decline isn’t unexpected, as the Trump administration last year slashed federal support for the clean energy industry. But the layoffs undercut President Donald Trump’s broader aim to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector.
To support that goal, Trump last year slapped tariffs on imported goods from across the globe. His thinking was that U.S. manufacturers would gain an advantage if their overseas competitors had to sell their products at a higher price to U.S. consumers.
