The oil industry has increased its hiring as COVID-19 cases start to fizzle out.
The resurgence has been attributed to reopening economies, rising oil demand and oil prices above $60 per barrel.
"Good news as our oil and gas industry continues to rebound from the pandemic," State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) said on Twitter. "Energy security IS national security. Thank you to the men and women who power our great state… you’ll always have an ally in me."
The industry added 9,707 jobs in May, following 17,700 were added in March and April after the low of jobs reported as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Operators appear to be a lot more optimistic and considering projects that have lay dormant the previous year," said Stuart Wilson, chief executive of service firm Packers Plus Energy Services, Reuters reported. "We are seeing more orders being confirmed at pricing levels that are more comparable to pre-pandemic levels," he added.
Chief Operating Officer of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council Molly Determan said that the industry is changing "fundamentally with increased automation, digitalization, machine learning, artificial intelligence and the ability for remote operations. This will ultimately lead to a leaner, more highly technical workforce. Some of our existing workforce will be reskilled to fill these roles, and others will be recruited into the industry," according to MRT.
As with any industry in the post-pandemic world, the oil service sector also has difficulty filling most openings.
Texas' unemployment rate has taken a dip from a year ago. The figure was below seven percent as of April, a far cry from the approximately 13% the first full month of the pandemic.
Higher pricing during the downturn is necessary to meet environmental and sustainability goals, said Leslie Shockley Beyer, of the energy and tech council, according to Reuters.
"Their margins have to be healthy enough to re-invest," Beyer told Reuters.