Texas Upstream Employment Falls 1,200 in July as 10,951 Job Postings Signal Demand
Updated
Updated · Rigzone News · Aug 25
Texas Upstream Employment Falls 1,200 in July as 10,951 Job Postings Signal Demand
1 articles · Updated · Rigzone News · Aug 25
Summary
Texas upstream employment fell by 1,200 jobs in July to 195,800, the steepest monthly drop of 2026 and the first back-to-back decline this year after June was revised to a 300-job loss.
That pullback followed a rise from 192,400 jobs in January to a 197,300 peak in May, leaving employment still up 3,400 jobs year to date even as TIPRO flagged a weakening trend.
TIPRO argued hiring demand remains intact, citing 10,951 unique Texas oil and gas job postings in July, including 4,363 new listings, with Houston leading at 2,795 postings.
The group also pointed to strong industry fundamentals: Texas collected $567 million in oil production taxes and $241 million in gas taxes in July, up 31% and 36% from a year earlier.
Broader output forecasts stayed bullish, with the EIA projecting U.S. natural gas production at a record 122.5 Bcfpd in 2026 and crude oil at 13.8 million bpd, though TIPRO warned tariffs, permitting delays and infrastructure limits are raising costs.