(The Center Square) – Rebounding from job losses in earlier months, the Texas oil and natural gas industry reported job gains in March.
Total jobs are still down over the year by at least 3.5%, according to new employment data published by the Texas Workforce Commission and U.S. Department of Labor.
The publishing of employment data continues to be delayed due to the federal government shutdown last fall.
Upstream oil and gas employment increased by 1,800 jobs in March over the month, bringing the total to 193,300, still lower than last year’s total, which surpassed 200,000.
Over the year, from March 2025 to March 2026, upstream sector jobs dropped by 7,100 jobs, representing a 3.5% decline.
The upstream sector includes oil and natural gas extraction and some mining activity. It excludes other industry sectors like refining, petrochemicals, fuels wholesaling, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas utilities, which all support hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide.
“This data underscores the enduring strength and adaptability of Texas’ energy sector despite recent market fluctuations,” Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples said in a statement. “Current employment levels remain significantly above historical norms and reflect robust gains since the pandemic-era lows. While it is premature to assume the increased employment will continue, announcements have been made that some companies are expanding production. These increased job numbers are a tremendous benefit to the families who are supported by this industry and are important for the communities in which they occur.”
Prior to 2007, TXOGA notes that Texas upstream employment totals were consistently below the September 2020 low of roughly 157,000 jobs. From 1998 through 2006, upstream employment averaged about 142,000, it says. “As past cycles demonstrate, periods of decline followed by recovery are a recurring feature of the industry,” it says.
Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) notes that the monthly job increase reflects a gain of 600 jobs in extraction and 1,200 jobs in support activities, bringing totals to 64,500 and 128,800, respectively.
Its analysis of workforce data “continues to indicate strong job postings for the Texas oil and natural gas industry,” TIPRO said. It points to 9,110 unique industry job postings in Texas in March, a 7 percent increase over the month.
By comparison, there are more available jobs in the industry in Texas than in any other state. Pennsylvania has the second greatest number of unique job postings, followed California, Ohio and Illinois, each totaling less than 3,000 available jobs.
Nationwide, there were 60,130 unique job postings in the oil and natural gas industry in March, an 11% increase over the month, according to the data.
The four Texas cities with the most oil and gas jobs are Houston, Midland, Odessa and Dallas. The companies with the most unique job postings in March were Loves, Energy Transfer, ExxonMobil and Baker Hughes, according to TIPRO’s analysis.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects ongoing increased domestic production over the year. U.S. crude production will average 13.6 million barrels per day (b/d) this year, increasing to 14.1 million b/d in 2027, it projects. It also projects natural gas output to increase.
Liquified Natural Gas exports broke records in in April out of Corpus Christi meeting global demand as conflict in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz continues, The Center Square reported.
The increased production trend is “particularly significant given the global market implications of continued disruptions to Middle Eastern petroleum and LNG flows” ongoing conflict in Iran “and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” TIPRO said.
“Amid continued global market volatility and international supply disruptions, Texas oil and gas operators remain steadfast in delivering reliable, dependable energy to domestic and international markets,” TIPRO president Ed Longanecker said. “The increase in upstream employment in March also demonstrates the strength and resilience of our industry. By maintaining steady production and responding efficiently to market signals, Texas producers are providing the stable energy supply that families, businesses and allies depend on, reinforcing the importance of American energy security at a critical time.”
