The Texas Workforce Commission has released employment data through March 2026, showing that upstream oil and gas employment increased by 1,800 jobs in March compared with February. Total upstream employment stood at 193,300 jobs in March 2026. Relative to the same month one year earlier, employment is down by 7,100 jobs, representing a drop of 3.5 percent year-over-year.
“This data underscores the enduring strength and adaptability of Texas’ energy sector despite recent market fluctuations,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. “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, Texas upstream employment was routinely below the September 2020 low of roughly 157,000 jobs. From 1998 through 2006, upstream employment averaged about 142,000. As past cycles demonstrate, periods of decline followed by recovery are a recurring feature of the industry.
The upstream sector involves oil and natural gas extraction and excludes other industry sectors such as refining, petrochemicals, fuels wholesaling, oilfield equipment manufacturing, pipelines, and gas utilities, which support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs across Texas. The employment shown also includes “Support Activities for Mining,” which is mostly oil and gas-related but also includes some small amount of other types of mining.