Employment in Texas and the state’s oil and gas industry continues to grow, according to Texas Workforce Commission. Texas added jobs again in March to continue more than two years of uninterrupted monthly job growth – although the growth from February to March slowed from previous months. Unemployment in the state held steady at four percent. Texas added 28,600 positions in March – a decline of 51 percent compared to February growth. Texas has added 575,000 jobs over the past 12 months.
Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association said there were 14,491 active job postings in the industry in March – an increase of 21 percent from February. That includes 6,193 new postings – 35 percent more than in February. Ed Longanecker, president, told the Dallas Morning News, “The Texas oil and natural gas industry continues to ramp up employment and production in line with growing demand for our product here and abroad.”
Texas’ job gains in March were greater than the U.S. gains in each of the 11 major categories of industry – including oil and gas. The upstream sector added 1,500 jobs in March.