How Do Offshore UK Oil and Gas Job Figures Stack Up?

Industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has released its latest workforce insight report, which details the organization’s most recent offshore oil and gas industry job data.

In the report, OEUK forecasts that the offshore oil and gas sector will support 213,600 jobs this year when direct, indirect and induced jobs are taken into consideration. This figure stood at 200,800 in 2021, 178,500 in 2020, and 260,900 in 2019, OEUK’s latest report showed.

A breakdown of the total direct, indirect, and induced jobs for 2019-2022, as shown in the report, can be seen below:

• 2022 – Direct (30,300), Indirect (99,700), Induced (83,600)
• 2021 – Direct (28,400), Indirect (93,900), Induced (78,500)
• 2020 – Direct (25,800), Indirect (91,700), Induced (61,000)
• 2019 – Direct (30,300), Indirect (121,900), Induced (108,700)

“Last year’s rise was largely due to the easing of restrictions introduced during the pandemic, which allowed more people to travel offshore,” OEUK stated in its report.

“Induced job numbers rose as many parts of the wider economy opened up for business again. OEUK expects to see further increases in total supported employment this year, driven by an anticipated rise in industry investment and more and more people working offshore,” the company added.

Skills shortages are cited as a major challenge across the industry, despite companies expecting the workforce to grow, on average, by 11 percent over the next two years, the report outlined. OEUK’s report also warned that competition for skilled workers from across the energy landscape, both on and offshore, would increase as activity levels increase.

“Our report shows that competition for talent and continued uncertainty on taxes could spell a premature end for the UK’s clean energy ambitions,” Katy Heidenreich, OEUK’s supply chain and people director, said in an organization statement.

“We need urgent action from governments to give confidence to the sector, so we can recruit and retain the talented needed,” Heidenrich added.

“Over 200,000 people supported the UK’s offshore energy industry last year. Employment grew more in 2021 than predicted last year, and many of our members are telling us they are facing real skills shortages in delivering activity needed to ensure energy security for the UK,” Heidenrich continued.

“OEUK is currently working with our members to develop an accurate picture of the nature of these gaps, identify the reasons for them and recommend an action plan that we will share with government,” the OEUK director went on to note.

Rigzone has asked the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for comment on OEUK’s latest workforce insight report. The BEIS has not yet responded to Rigzone at the time of writing.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com