Currently, Oklahoma has the distinction of having the largest share of total household earnings* coming directly from the oil and gas industry – an astounding 13.9% for all of 2014. In fact, Oklahoma now has the highest share ever posted by a state in the modern energy era, with Wyoming’s 13.5% share in 1982 ranking a close second.
The U.S. drilling rig count is now down 55% since September 2014. The decline has reached 60% in both Texas and North Dakota.
Our pic-of-the-week highlights changes in the latest data that suggest we may be getting much closer to a near-term bottom in the rig count. Most importantly, the overall
Layoffs in the oil and gas sector are now clearly weighing on overall employment in the top-tier energy-producing states. Our pic-of-the-week illustrates the sharp slowdown in job growth in the energy states relative to the non-energy states in just the past six months. In sharp contrast to the strong labor market conditions enjoyed in most other states,
Which energy states are seeing the steepest losses in rig counts? The U.S. rig count peaked in November 2014 at about 1,930 rigs but has quickly dropped to only 1,676 rigs (a 13.2% decline) in just eight short weeks. So far, Texas is taking the brunt of the fall. Of the 253 rigs cut nationally, 139 were land-based rigs operating in Texas, a 15.4% decline. Across all other states and offshore combined, only 113 rigs have been cut.
Just how big is the current oil boom relative to 1982? In short, not far behind for most of the energy states. Our last pic-of-the-week showed the share of total state earnings derived directly from the oil and gas sector. Requests quickly came in for a comparison of current conditions to those of 1982. This week’s pic answers that question. For each of the energy states,