From Houston Chronicle
Oil and gas companies in Texas added 2,400 exploration and production jobs in October, marking 23 consecutive months of job growth, according to the Texas Oil & Gas Association.
The association, citing data from the Texas Workforce Commission, reported on Tuesday that Texas has recovered 49 percent of the jobs it lost between peak employment in December 2014 and the low point in September 2016.
The industry faced its most serious downturns in 35 years that emerged from a collapse in oil prices that began in late 2014. One in four energy jobs in the Houston region was lost during the downturn.
More than 100,000 exploration and production, or upstream, jobs were lost in the state between 2014 and 2016. Since the low point, employment in the Texas upstream sector has increased by 56,600 jobs. As an added bonus, those jobs are among the highest paying in any sector.
“The upward trend in upstream job growth continues as oil and natural gas companies invest in Texas, anchoring the state’s position as a global energy leader,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. “Our economy, our environment and our future are more secure because of what’s happening in the oil and natural gas industry in Texas.”
