Study: Energy Industry Created 1 In 5 New OK Jobs
Oil and gas fueling state’s job growth, study finds
By Janelle Stecklein CNHI State Reporter
OKLAHOMA CITY — Nearly 1 in 5 new jobs in Oklahoma are connected to the oil and gas industry, according to a study released Wednesday by Oklahoma City University.
Oil and gas employment in the private sector accounted for less than 5 percent of the state’s total employment in 2012, but the industry added more than 20 percent of the 61,000 new jobs in Oklahoma since 2010, according to the report by the Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute.
The study was commissioned by Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, which promotes the oil and gas industry.
The study found that those working in the industry collect an average annual pay of $94,527 before benefits, said Russell Evans, executive director of the Policy Institute. That’s far better than the median earnings for all Oklahoma workers of $26,700 per year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“There’s no surprises here,” Evans said. “The magnitude of the numbers may be a surprise, but the reality that the oil and gas is still driving the economic activity I don’t think comes as a surprise to anyone who looks out their window as they drive out across Oklahoma.”
Last year Oklahoma ranked fifth in the nation for crude oil production, producing 4.11 percent of the total U.S. supply. Evans noted that some experts think the state may surpass Alaska and California over the next few years to claim the No. 3 spot.