Renewables presently look more labor-intensive because they are still being built at a rapid clip, whereas there are no coal plants under construction in the US. "Coal power jobs" presently include only the permanent employment for operating and maintaining plants that were built in the past, plus associated mining jobs for fuel.
Most wind and solar jobs are temporary construction/installation jobs. It takes a year or two for hundreds of workers to build a solar farm. Then the site can operate for 20 years or more with just a handful of permanent employees. Jobs in manufacturing the equipment used for renewable generation are steadier but also less plentiful. Factories for making batteries, turbines, inverters, and solar modules are already thrifty with human labor and becoming more so over time.
I actually think that these characteristics of renewable generation are benefits, overall. Aging populations benefit from technological developments that enable the same material standard of living with fewer prime-age workers. Low labor intensity also means that renewable electricity prices can fall further until hitting a price floor set by the wages of plant workers.
Most wind and solar jobs are temporary construction/installation jobs. It takes a year or two for hundreds of workers to build a solar farm. Then the site can operate for 20 years or more with just a handful of permanent employees. Jobs in manufacturing the equipment used for renewable generation are steadier but also less plentiful. Factories for making batteries, turbines, inverters, and solar modules are already thrifty with human labor and becoming more so over time.
I actually think that these characteristics of renewable generation are benefits, overall. Aging populations benefit from technological developments that enable the same material standard of living with fewer prime-age workers. Low labor intensity also means that renewable electricity prices can fall further until hitting a price floor set by the wages of plant workers.
See a previous analysis here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13750787