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Will Canada's Oil Sands Produce More Jobs?

By Abby Lombardi on March 26, 2013 in Canadian Employment, Energy.

Oil sands (or tar sands or bituminous sands) is an unconventional source of energy being leveraged in a handful of countries, including Canada. Similar to other alternative energy sources, like shale gas, these projects often come with controversy surrounding costs, environmental issues, and job creation. With plans to increase oil sands production from 1.6 million barrels a day to 3.5 million barrels by 2025 and the prospect of bringing more jobs to Canada, we thought it would be interesting to look at recent hiring demand for professionals with this specific experience.

In the past 90 days, there were approximately 200 jobs available online that specified working with oil, tar, or bituminous sands projects. As one would probably expect, with most of the deposits located in Alberta, the far majority of these positions are concentrated in this province. Fort McMurray, Calgary, and Edmonton had the highest number of jobs posted online in the past 90 days related to oil sands projects.

Not surprisingly, the field that most commonly requires experience or knowledge of this alternative energy is Engineers. Mining Engineers, Geological Engineers, and Chemical Engineers appear most often. Other fields with high demand include Security Guards, Construction Esitmators, and Sales, Marketing, and Advertising. Below are the 10 most commonly advertised job titles for oil sands positions:

  1. Project Engineer
  2. Project Managers
  3. Administrative Assistant
  4. Senior Mechanical Engineer
  5. Senior Project Manager
  6. Process Operator
  7. Mechanical Engineer
  8. Electrical Engineer
  9. Geotechnical Engineer
  10. Administrator

Want to see what oil sands jobs – or any mining job – are in demand in your area? Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics!

Already a user? Log in and enter any specific keywords (or click here for a prepopulated oil sands search.) Just add your location and any other job requirements and generate a Talent Sourcing Report to share with your colleagues!

Mining for Shale Talent

By Ashley Rowe on December 28, 2012 in Energy.

As we close the year out, we looked back at our most popular articles of 2012. Our blog in February on shale mining jobs was our most read topic and we decided to revisit shale mining hiring demand to provide you with an update. Recently, the US Chamber of Commerce released a study that predicts the shale mining industry will support 143,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2020, climbing to 266,000 by 2035. Is hiring demand on track to meet the forecast? In November 2012, there were 1,240 jobs advertised online for jobs related to shale mining, a .09% decline when compared to the same time last year. Despite the recent dip in demand, hiring remained fairly steady throughout the year. During 2012, a total of 7,852 job ads appeared online. If hiring demand stays at this level for the next 10 years, only half the jobs forecasted will be advertised online.

Hiring Demand for Shale Mining Jobs in the US – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Hiring Chart for Shale Mining Jobs

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

The occupational fields that saw the highest volume of job ads in November were architecture and engineering; management; life, physical and social science; and business and financial operations. The most commonly advertised job titles for shale mining are:

  1. Reservoir Engineer
  2. Driver
  3. Senior Reservoir Engineer
  4. Drilling Engineer
  5. Production Engineer
  6. Geologist
  7. Senior Drilling Engineer
  8. Completions Engineer
  9. Senior Geologist
  10. Petroleum Engineer

The cities with the highest volume of job ads are still concentrated around shale plays. Houston (TX), Pittsburgh (PA), Oklahoma City (OK), Denver-Aurora (CO), and San Antonio (TX) currently have the most job ads posted online. Of these cities, Oklahoma City experienced the most growth over the past year, with 184% more jobs in November 2012 than employers posted in November 2011. Dallas moved off the list, decreasing 15% in the past year. Pittsburgh saw a bigger decline in demand over the past year, down 61% since last November. Below is a heat map of shale mining hiring demand throughout the US. Dark blue indicates areas with higher job counts.

Heat Map of Hiring Demand for Shale Mining Jobs in the US

Heat Map of Job Ad Volume for Shale Mining Jobs

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Our Hiring Scale shows that these jobs are likely to be moderately difficult-to-fill, scoring a 43 on our scale. Conditions are likely to be more difficult in cities such as Weirton-Steubenville (WV) and Washington (DC). The New York metro area presents the most favorable recruiting conditions, scoring an 8 on our scale. Why does the New York metro area have the best recruiting conditions? When researching hiring trends in this area, we found that job ad volume is low in relation to the talent pool and that employers are looking for certain professionals in this city. Job ads in the NY area are mostly for Journalists, Attorneys, Drivers, Engineers, and Sales professionals.

Heat Map of Difficulty-to-Fill for Shale Mining Jobs

Heat Map of Hiring Difficulty for Shale Mining Jobs

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics™ for a Talent Sourcing Report of hiring demand data and talent supply in the oil and gas industry.

Analytics users, to look up this hiring demand data, log in, enter "shale" and "frack" into the keyword filter, or type then select the oil and gas extraction industry, add your location, and other specific requirements and hit "Generate Report."

Is Oil and Gas Growth Fueling Hiring Demand?

By Ashley Rowe on November 23, 2012 in Energy.

The International Energy Agency reported that the US will become the world's largest oil producer by 2020. According to  The Wall Street Journal, "This shift will be driven primarily by the faster than expected development of hydrocarbon resources locked in shale and other tight rock formations that have just started to be unlocked by a new combination of two technologies: hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling." Can we expect hiring demand to increase along with oil and gas production growth?

In the heat map of online job ads within the oil and gas industry, the areas marked in dark blue currently have the highest volume of job ads. Houston, TX has the most job ads, just under 500. This metropolitan area also experienced 33% growth over the same time last year.

Job Ad Volume Heat Map

Job Ad Volume Heat Map

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

After the initial recession, hiring for oil and gas had been on the rise until April 2012. Since then, demand declined slightly. Even though there was a decrease in demand, as of October 2012, the volume of jobs ads posted online increased 10% year-over-year.

Hiring Demand for Oil and Gas Jobs

Hiring Demand Growth Chart Oil and Gas

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Out of more than 2,200 job ads posted online in the oil and gas industry, the most commonly advertised job titles included:

  1. Industrial Engineers
  2. Petroleum Engineers
  3. Accountants
  4. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Production and Operating Workers
  5. First Line Supervisors/Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
  6. Computer Support Specialists
  7. Maintenance & Repair Workers, General
  8. Computer System Analysts
  9. Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
  10. Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Cincinnati, OH has the the largest talent pool, with about 180,000 people currently working in this industry. Yet, hiring demand remains low, making recruiting conditions slightly easier here than on average across the US. Our Hiring Scale™ below shows that Recruiters might be able to reduce their hiring difficulty level by sourcing talent in this city.

Hiring Scale for Oil and Gas Jobs

Hiring Scale for Oil and Gas Jobs

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

Try a free trial of WANTED Analytics™ to see what oil and gas hiring conditions look like in your area.

Analytics users, log in, under the industry filter add "Oil and Gas Mining and Extraction", add your location, and other special requirements.

Where are Best Cities to Find Solar Engineering Candidates?

By Abby Lombardi on May 21, 2012 in Energy, Engineering.

Solar energy companies are experiencing a difficult time sourcing potential candidates for engineering jobs. These jobs require specific skills and Recruiters compete heavily to attract people from the talent supply. We've seen high growth in the Detroit, MI area – especially in the auto industry – but the number of available candidates in the local area hasn't grown as much as demand. In Detroit, it's likely that Recruiters will face more competition, higher cost-per-hire, and a longer time-to-fill. In fact, the average duration of a solar engineering job ad is 44 days – or just over 6 weeks.

Hiring Scale for Solar Engineering Candidates – Detroit, MI

Hiring Scale for Solar Engineers in Detroit, MI

Source: WANTED Analytics

As is expected with engineering jobs, there are many skills that employers are looking for in candidates and there is great competition for this talent. Are you sourcing for the most up-to-date and commonly found talents? Below are the tools and technologies that solar engineers are most often required to have experience with.

  1. Microsoft Office
  2. Product design and development
  3. Autodesk AutoCAD
  4. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
  5. Microsoft PowerPoint
  6. Microsoft Excel
  7. Bentley Microstation
  8. Engineering drawings
  9. The MathWorks MATLAB
  10. Failure analysis

So where can Recruiters find solar engineers? We looked at the locations that are currently experiencing some of the most favorable recruiting conditions. Below are the top 5 cities with the largest talent supply and low demand. In these locations, it's likely that you'll see less competition from employers to attract candidates and a shorter time-to-fill for solar engineering jobs. If you are having a difficult time finding candidates, consider targeting your search in some of these markets.

Best Cities to Source Solar Engineering Candidates

best locations to source Solar Engineer candidates

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you recruiting for solar engineering professionals? Are they hard-to-fill jobs in your city? Find out with the free, online Hiring Scale™!

Hiring by Oil, Gas, and Mining Companies Almost Doubles in First Months of 2012

By Abby Lombardi on March 8, 2012 in Energy, Engineering, Oil Gas and Mining.

The oil, gas, and mining industries in the United States have seen vast fluctuations in hiring over the past several years. Alternative energy sources are becoming more readily available. However, they are far from the norm at this point as is reflected by rising fuel prices. We thought we would take a look at hiring in the oil and gas mining industries to see what it looks like now.

In the past 60 days, more than 4,800 jobs were posted online in these mining industries.  This represents a 97% increase from last year – almost double the number of job ads in the first 2 months of 2011. The employers with the most online job ads during this period were Baker-Hughes, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and Freeport-McMoRan.

Hiring Demand by Oil, Gas, and Mining Companies – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Hiring Demand by the Oil & Gas Mining Industries

Source: WANTED Analytics

The most demanded occupation by oil, gas, and mining companies during this time period was Petroleum Engineer. Over the past 60 days, more than 300 online job ads were posted for this position, a 142% increase compared to last year. Other high-demand jobs included Production Managers, Industrial Engineers, Accountants, Truck Drivers, Mechanic Managers, Computer Support Specialists, Computer Systems Analysts, Geo-scientists, and General Maintenance and Repair Workers. All 10 of these occupations have experienced at least double-digit year-over-year increases in hiring demand, ranging from 58% growth (Truck Drivers) to 289% (Maintenance and Repair Workers.) Does the rise in demand for any of these jobs surprise you?

Oil, Gas, and Mining Occupations with Highest Volume of Job Ads – Past 60 Days

Oil & Gas occupations with most job ads

Source: WANTED Analytics

The 5 locations with the most job ads in these industries are below. Recruiters placed the most ads for job openings located within the Houston metro area, with more than 1,000 listings in the past 60 days. Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), Denver (Colorado), Dallas (Texas), and Tulsa (Oklahoma) rounded out the list of the cities with the highest hiring demand for these jobs. Dallas was one of few US cities that saw a year-over-year decline.

Metropolitan Areas with Highest Volume of Job Ads in the Oil, Gas, and Mining Industries

Locations with the most oil, gas, and mining job ads

Source: WANTED Analytics

According to our Hiring Scale™, Recruiters in these industries are likely to find most jobs easy-to-fill. However, conditions will vary by location and specific occupation. For example, Petroleum Engineers – the most demanded job by oil and gas companies over the past 60 days – are likely to be moderately difficult-to-fill. The location currently experiencing one of the most difficult recruiting conditions is Odessa, Texas. Here, demand may soon out-pace the local talent supply. Job ads in the Odessa area remain online for 64 days – more than 9 weeks or 2 months. On the other hand, if you are a Petroleum Engineer looking for work in Odessa, it is likely that Recruiters will compete heavily for your skills, making work moderately easy-to-find.

Hiring Scale for Petroleum Engineers in Odessa, Texas

Hiring Scale for Petroleum Engineers in Odessa, TX

Source: WANTED Analytics

In comparison, our Hiring Scale also shows that Recruiters looking to fill this job in New Orleans (Louisiana) are likely to see some of the easiest recruiting conditions and shortest time-to-fill, since there are larger talent pools and fewer employers competing for these potential candidates. Other locations that are likely to find Petroleum engineers easier to fill are Dallas, Oklahoma City, Corpus Christi (Texas), and Houston. In these locations, job ads may be online for as few as 36 days – or just over 5 weeks. That's almost half the time it takes to fill a job in Odessa. Consequently, if you are a Petroleum Engineer in any of these areas, it is likely that work will be harder to find and possibly take longer than average.

Hiring Scale for Petroleum Engineers in New Orleans, Louisiana

Hiring Scale for Petroleum Engineers in New Orleans, LA

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you looking for work in the oil, gas, and mining industries? Or an employer looking to fill open jobs in this sector? Try our free, online Hiring Scale™ to see the level of hiring demand in your area, compare average salary ranges, and find other companies that are currently hiring for this talent.

Hiring Picks up for Wind Energy Projects in January

By Abby Lombardi on February 23, 2012 in Energy, Engineering.

Over the past several weeks, we've reported on the hiring trends for job related to several alternative energy sources – solar energy and shale mining. Today, we thought we'd look at another type of energy – wind power – and hiring across the United States.

Hiring for this alternative energy increased in 2011, despite some declines in the last months of the year. In January, about 2,400 jobs were advertised online for positions that specified involvement with wind energy. This represents a 32% increase in hiring demand compared to the same month period in 2011.

Hiring Demand for Wind Energy Jobs – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Hiring Demand for Wind Energy Related Jobs

Source: WANTED Analytics

Not surprisingly, most of these jobs are for various types of Engineers. On average, demand for Engineers to work on wind energy projects increased 34% in January 2012 versus January 2011. Industrial Engineers were the most demanded field among wind enery jobs. Other types of Engineers that saw increased volumes of job ads were Mechanical, Electrical, and Aerospace Engineers. Other than engineers, highly demanded occupations include Truck Drivers, Software Engineers, Production Managers, and Wind Turbine Service Technicians.

The 5 metropolitan areas with the highest volume of job ads for wind energy projects during January were Cincinnati (Ohio), Houston (Texas), Erie (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and Albany (New York). Recruiters in Cincinnati not only placed the most job ads but also saw the highest growth of these 5 locations, with 132% more jobs placed in January 2012 than were advertised in January 2011. Albany, however, was the only location of these top 5 to see a year-over-year decline. Hiring demand in the Albany area is down 18% compared to last year.

5 Metro Areas with Highest Demand for Wind Energy Jobs – 4 Year Hiring Trend

5 locations with highest demand for wind energy talent

Source: WANTED Analytics

Of these 5 high-demand locations, our Hiring Scale™ shows that these jobs will be fairly hard-to-fill due to the specialized skill requirements that are often needed in these jobs. Despite seeing year-over-year declines in hiring demand, Recruiters in Albany are likely to see some of the most difficult and longest recruitment processes in the US. In the Albany area, job ads are posted online for an average of 48 days – or about 7 weeks. In comparison, Recruiters in Philadelphia are likely to have the easiest locations of the above 5 cities. Consequently, if you are searching for work in the energy industry and have experience on wind power projects, it is likely to be easier to find a job in Albany since there are more employers hiring and fewer candidates competing for jobs. It is likely to be harder to find work in this space in Philadelphia.

Hiring Scale for Wind Energy Skills – Albany vs. Nationally

Hiring Scale for Wind Power Engineers in Albany

Source: WANTED Analytics

Hiring Scale for Wind Power Engineers – Philadelphia vs. Nationally

Hiring Scale for Wind Power Engineers in Philadelphia

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you hiring for wind energy projects? Or, are you looking to work in this alternative energy field? Try our free online Hiring Scale™ to see how competitive the talent marketplace is, average salary ranges, and which employers are currently hiring for these skills!

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