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Newly released data from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) indicates that upstream oil and natural gas employment grew by an additional 2,200 jobs in October, the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) noted in a statement sent to Rigzone recently.
“These new numbers extend the strength of 2023’s job growth to date, with 16,500 jobs added so far this year,” TXOGA said in the statement.
“Since the Covid-low point of September of 2020, industry has added or recovered 55,900 jobs, averaging growth of 1,511 jobs a month,” the organization added.
“At 212,900 upstream jobs, compared to the same month in the prior year, October 2023 jobs were up by 19,200, or 9.9 percent over October of 2022,” TXOGA continued.
Months with an increase in upstream oil and natural gas employment have outnumbered months with a decrease by 32 to five, the organization said in the statement, adding that oil and natural gas jobs pay among the highest wages in Texas “with employers paying an average salary of approximately $115,000 in 2022”.
“In spite of turbulent economic times and increasing geopolitical tensions, Texas’ oil and natural gas industry continues to grow,” Todd Staples, the President of TXOGA, said in the statement.
“Industry remains committed to continuing to produce affordable reliable energy to provide energy security for our nation and our allies around the world,” he added.
TXOGA highlighted in the statement that the upstream sector involves oil and natural gas extraction and excludes other industry sectors such as refining, petrochemicals, fuels wholesaling, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas utilities, which it noted “support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs in Texas”.
“The employment shown also includes ‘Support Activities for Mining’, which is mostly oil and gas-related but also includes some small amount of other types of mining,” TXOGA clarified in the statement.
Texas Leads the Nation in Annual Jobs Growth
A statement posted on the Office of the Texas Governor’s website recently noted that Governor Greg Abbott “celebrated the strength of the state’s jobs economy following the release of October employment data showing Texas continues to lead the nation in annual jobs growth, adding more jobs over the last 12 months than any state in the nation”.
“Texas also reached two new record highs with the largest Texas civilian labor force ever at 15,162,100 and with more Texans working than ever before, including self-employed, at 14,536,800,” the statement added.
In the statement, Abbott said, “thanks to our young, skilled, diverse, and growing labor force – the largest ever and a magnet for businesses looking to invest and expand – Texas again leads the nation in annual jobs growth”.
“Despite national economic headwinds, Texas grew more jobs over the past 12 months than any other state. That momentum is a testament to the resilience of Texas businesses and entrepreneurs and the best business climate in the nation,” he added.
“With more Texans working than ever before, we continue to build an even bolder Texas of tomorrow,” Abbott continued.
September Upstream Growth
In a statement sent to Rigzone last month, TXOGA said data from the TWC indicated that upstream oil and natural gas employment rose by an additional 1,700 jobs in September.
“These new numbers extend the strength of 2023’s job growth to date, with 14,300 jobs added so far this year,” TXOGA noted in that statement.
In the October statement sent to Rigzone, Staples said, “three years ago in September 2020, upstream oil and natural gas employment hit rock bottom because of Covid, but now due to ingenuity, innovation and commitment to energy security, this industry has generated nearly 54,000 upstream oil and gas jobs in Texas”.
“Not only have these high-paying jobs supported Texas families and communities, they’ve made Texas the undisputed energy leader and ushered in an energy renaissance that secures our allies abroad, provides domestic economic growth, and is making Texas cleaner, stronger and better,” he added at the time.
TXOGA describes itself as a statewide trade association representing every facet of the Texas oil and gas industry including small independents and major producers. Collectively, its membership produces approximately 90 percent of Texas’ crude oil and natural gas, operates nearly 90 percent of the state’s refining capacity, and is responsible for the vast majority of the state’s pipelines, according to the organization’s website.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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