Texas Upstream Adds 4,300 Jobs

The Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) reported Tuesday that the state’s upstream sector added 4,300 jobs in March.

In addition to representing the third straight month of an upstream employment uptick in the state, the latest figure marks the largest single month-over-month gain since the summer of 2011, TXOGA revealed in a written statement emailed to Rigzone. The trade organization bases its findings on data from the Texas Workforce Commission.

“As our state continues to recover economically from the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, continued gains in the upstream sector of the Texas oil and natural gas industry are another sign that life is getting back to normal for many Texans,” remarked TXOGA President Todd Staples.

Since bottoming out in September 2020 amid the pandemic, Texas’ upstream sector has added 12,000 jobs, TXOGA noted. The organization also observed the state’s upstream job count has grown five of the past six months, most recently totaling 169,700. As the graph below from TXOGA shows, the latest figure represents an approximately 50,000-job shortfall from the corresponding period in 2020.

IMAGE SOURCE: TXOGA

“Oil and natural gas will continue to play an essential role in environmental progress and the energy and economic strength of Texas, providing power, products, high-paying jobs, and billions in government revenues for decades to come,” said Staples. “Positive trends in the oil and natural gas industry benefit every Texan, whether you live near the oil patch or not.”

To contact the author, email mveazey@rigzone.com.