Why You Wouldn't See Permian Basin Boom Reflected in Texas Oil and Gas Job Growth in 2017

Texas added barely any oil and gas jobs last year even as the state continued to dominate the industry, according to report released Monday.The Texas industry employed 325,439 or about 39 percent of those jobs nationwide, according to the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association. The national and state numbers also showed that hiring was up for the first time since 2014 but by small amounts.The number of oil and natural gas workers increased by 3,060 last year, up by less than half a percentage point. But payroll adjusted for inflation was down by 3 percent over 2016. Texas technically showed an increase, but it was a barely perceptible 24 new jobs despite the Permian Basin boom."Because of the efficiencies in drilling methods and overall operations, operators are able to do more with less," said Ed Longanecker, the industry body's president. "They've become much more efficient in their drilling programs. They don't need the same level of personnel they needed during the previous boom."  Continue reading...

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