California suffered the highest losses of any state: Employment dropped by almost 78,000 jobs, mostly in Los Angeles. Georgia, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Louisiana saw the largest relative losses, each losing more than 20% of their clean energy workforces.

Overall, E2 now expects clean energy job losses to hit 850,000 by mid-year, wiping out a quarter of the country’s workforce.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that based on this projection, the May figures should be a bit less brutal. Last week, the Treasury Department agreed to an extension of critical tax breaks for renewable energy projects, which should help spur activity in that sector. And on Tuesday, California officials agreed to let Tesla re-open its electric vehicle factory there.

But with most office buildings still closed, and the specter of an extended recession putting corporate and government discretionary spending on hold, it will likely be a while before those energy efficiency jobs are back on the market.

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