Texas Upstream Job Growth Surges 94% for June

The Lone Star State’s upstream oil and gas sector continued to grow in June, the Texas Oil and Gas Association (TXOGA) reported Thursday.

Texas’ addition of 3,100 upstream jobs from May to June is 94% higher than the 1,600-job gain that TXOGA reported from April to May. In fact, TXOGA noted in a written statement emailed to Rigzone that Texas’ upstream sector posted its fifth best single-month job growth performance in more than five years.

The increase for June represents the seventh monthly uptick in Texas’ upstream employment in the past nine months, TXOGA observed.

“Compared to the same month in 2020, June 2021 jobs are finally up over the same month of the prior year,” TXOGA stated. “Now, upstream jobs are 9,000 higher, or 5%, than June of 2020.”

TXOGA bases its findings on data from the Texas Workforce Commission.

“Continuing job growth in the oil and natural gas industry is critical for the economy at large because every direct oil and natural gas job in Texas generates an additional 3.0 jobs elsewhere in the state’s economy,” remarked TXOGA President Todd Staples.

Since bottoming out in September 2020 amid the pandemic, Texas’ upstream employment has risen 10.3%, or 15,600 jobs, TXOGA noted. The organization also observed the state’s tally of upstream jobs, which apply to oil and gas extraction, now totals 173,100.

“A thriving oil and natural gas sector not only provides the power, products, and fuels we need but also propels the rest of the economy forward,” commented Staples.

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