Texas Upstream Sector Jobs Increase For Eight Month In A Row

The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) has noted that the updated employment figures for the Texas upstream sector rose for eight months straight.

Citing the latest Current Employment Statistics (CES) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), TIPRO reported that Texas upstream employment for December 2021 totaled 188,700, an increase of 3,000 jobs from revised November numbers, and the eighth consecutive month of job growth for the industry since last April.

Texas upstream employment in December 2021 represented an increase of 27,800 positions compared to December 2020, reflecting a rise of 26,500 jobs in the services sector and an increase of 1,300 jobs in oil and natural gas extraction.

According to TIPRO's analysis, once the direct, indirect, and induced impact of these upstream positions are incorporated, the organization calculated a multiplier effect of 6.8 percent per job for Crude Petroleum Extraction, 5.2 percent for Natural Gas Extraction, 2.4 percent for Drilling Oil and Gas Wells, and 2 percent for the Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations sector, further capturing the significant economic impact of the Texas oil and natural gas industry.

The association also noted strong job posting data for upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors for December in line with rising employment, showing continued demand for talent in the Texas oil and natural gas industry.

TIPRO's workforce analysis data claimed that there were 8,484 active unique job postings for the Texas oil and natural gas industry in December of 2021, including 2,612 new job postings added for the month.

Among the 14 specific industry sectors TIPRO uses to define the Texas oil and natural gas industry, Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations ranked the highest in December with 2,144 unique job postings, followed by Crude Petroleum Extraction (1,506) and Petroleum Refineries (874).

The leading three cities by total unique oil and natural gas job postings were Houston (3,041), Midland (939), and Dallas (531).

The top three companies ranked by unique job postings in December were National Oilwell Varco (477), Baker Hughes (468), and Halliburton (407). Top posted occupations for December included heavy tractor-trailer truck drivers (334), personal service managers (303), and computer occupations (230).

"Oil and natural gas employment continues to rebound, providing quality, high-paying jobs to Texans throughout the state, and we expect that trend to continue. These employment opportunities also span across a spectrum of occupations, from laborers and roustabouts to software developers and electrical engineers," said Ed Longanecker, president of TIPRO.

"We believe increasing global demand will outpace production as economic conditions improve, and oil inventories could hit their lowest level in over two decades this summer, likely driving commodity prices higher and accelerating exploration and production activity in the state, if the market demands it," Longanecker added.