Texas Oil & Gas Jobs Decline
Recent jobs news is not good for Texans, with new data showing the state has lost thousands of oil and gas jobs since December.
Related: Chesapeake Cuts 740 Jobs
Falling oil prices have halted job growth throughout the industry and hit Texas particularly hard.
Texas oil and gas producers have made tough decisions to survive during the worst downturn in years including cutting almost 28,300 jobs in the past six months. Just last week, Chesapeake Energy Corp announced it will be reducing its workforce by 15%, causing speculation about the viability and future of the company.
“Oil and gas employment in the state set a record high in December with 305,000 on the payroll following a rapid hiring spree by energy companies rushing to extract oil and gas from shale plays across the state, according to data compiled by petroleum economist Karr Ingham for the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.”
In 2014, Texas counties topped the list for the most oil, gas and mining jobs created and lost:
- Midland County (Midland, Texas): 3,169
- Weld County (Greely, Colo.): 2,367
- Williams County (Williston, N.D.): 1,807
- Bexar County (San Antonio): 1,416
- Frio County (Pearsall): 1,067
- Ector County (Odessa): 1,064
- Tarrant County (Fort Worth): 908
- Denver County (Denver): 893
- Lea County (Hobbs, N.M.): 785
Bottom 10 Counties: Most oil, gas and mining jobs lost in 2014:
- Harris County (Houston): -1,115
- Elko County (Elko, Nev.): -744
- Collin County (McKinney, Texas): -584
- Boone County (Charleston, W.V.): -551
- Pinal County (Phoenix, Ariz.) -535
- St. Martin Parish (Lafayette, La.): -459
- Salt Lake County (Salt Lake City): -451
- Mingo County (Williamson, W.Va.): -444
- Contra Costa County (San Francisco): -439
- Hopkins County (Madisonville, Ky.): -376