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

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

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

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

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

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.