Cycling Is Creating More Jobs in Europe Than Automakers Are in the U.S. [View all]

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/12/03/not-just-health-and-fitness-cycling-has-created-650000-jobs-europe?cmpid=tpnews-eml-2014-12-5-pregnant

(Photo: Getty Images)

A new study finds that getting on a bike doesn’t just cut carbon emissions—it boosts the economy.

December 04, 2014 By Taylor Hill

Taylor Hill is TakePart's associate environment and wildlife editor.


Want to lower greenhouse gas emissions, get fit, and create new jobs? Ride a bike.

That’s the finding of the first comprehensive study on Europe’s cycling industry, which details a cycling economy that employs more than 655,000 people in industries such as retail, manufacturing, infrastructure investment, and tourism.

On just two wheels, the industry is creating more jobs than Europe’s high-fashion footwear industry (388,000 jobs), its well-established steel sector (410,000), and the United States’ Big Three automobile companies (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) combined (510,000).

Holger Haubold, fiscal and economic policy officer at the European Cyclists’ Federation, which commissioned the study, said that cycling allows cities and countries to cut carbon emissions without hindering economic growth.

FULL story at link.