A new study shows that the natural gas and oil industry supported 10.3 million U.S. jobs and added $1.3 trillion to the nation’s economy in 2015. The study found that jobs supported by the industry increased by 500,000 since 2011 and showed that all 50 states, whether producing or non-producing, continued to benefit from the industry.
The study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute (API), showed that the natural gas and oil industry supported 10.3 million U.S. jobs in 2015. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage paid by the natural gas and oil industry, excluding retail station jobs, in 2016 was $101,181 which is nearly 90 percent more than the national average.
“Policies that promote the responsible development of our nation’s vast energy resources aren’t solely economic, but also further U.S. security and environmental stewardship. Increased use of clean-burning natural gas for power generation and technology innovations have reduced U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to near 30-year lows today,” Gerard added.