The variety of staff within the oil and fuel extraction business has hit its lowest stage since 2022, knowledge on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) web site reveals.
In response to preliminary figures included within the knowledge, the variety of staff within the sector stood at 115,200 in April 2026. The final time the determine was this low was in August 2022, the info confirmed.
The variety of staff within the oil and fuel extraction business stood at 115,900 in March 2026, 116,200 in February 2026, and 115,500 in January 2026, in accordance with the most recent knowledge. The March figures had been additionally preliminary, the info highlighted. Earlier knowledge had the variety of staff within the sector at 116,100 in March and 116,300 in February.
The newest knowledge confirmed that the variety of staff within the oil and fuel extraction business has dropped for the final two Aprils in a row. In April 2025, this determine stood at 118,700 and in April 2024, it stood at 121,200, the info highlighted.
In response to this knowledge, which spanned from January 2016 to April 2026, the April that noticed the best variety of staff within the sector got here in April 2016, at 178,500. The variety of staff within the oil and fuel extraction business stood at 116,800 in April 2023, 118,700 in April 2022, 113,300 in April 2021, 132,300 in April 2020, 144,200 in April 2019, 142,700 in April 2018, and 145,000 in April 2017, the info revealed.
The BLS knowledge is taken from the nationwide Present Employment Statistics (CES) survey, the info web page outlined. The CES program produces detailed business estimates of nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings of employees on payrolls, the BLS website states, including that CES Nationwide Estimates produces knowledge for the nation and CES State and Metro Space produces estimates for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and about 450 metropolitan areas and divisions.
Every month, CES surveys roughly 119,000 companies and authorities businesses, representing roughly 622,000 particular person worksites, the BLS website notes.
The oil and fuel extraction subsector is a part of the mining, quarrying, and oil and fuel extraction sector, the BLS website states. The positioning highlights that, in accordance with the North American Business Classification System, “industries within the Oil and Gasoline Extraction subsector function and/or develop oil and fuel discipline properties”.
“Such actions might embody exploration for crude petroleum and pure fuel; drilling, finishing, and equipping wells; working separators, emulsion breakers, desilting gear, and discipline gathering traces for crude petroleum and pure fuel; and all different actions within the preparation of oil and fuel as much as the purpose of cargo from the manufacturing property,” the location provides.
“This subsector contains the manufacturing of crude petroleum, the mining and extraction of oil from oil shale and oil sands, and the manufacturing of pure fuel, sulfur restoration from pure fuel, and restoration of hydrocarbon liquids,” it continues.
The BLS describes itself on its web site as an company of america Division of Labor.
“It’s the principal fact-finding company within the broad discipline of labor economics and statistics and serves as a part of the U.S. Federal Statistical System,” the location notes.
“BLS collects, calculates, analyzes, and publishes knowledge important to the general public, employers, researchers, and authorities organizations,” it provides.
USEER
The U.S. Division of Power’s (DOE) 2025 United States Power & Employment Report (USEER) confirmed that the vitality sector employed 8.5 million employees in 2024, “accounting for five.4 p.c of all jobs in america”.
Power jobs had been distributed throughout all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, in accordance with the USEER, which revealed that Texas, California, and Michigan had the best vitality employment and that Wyoming, North Dakota, and West Virginia had essentially the most vitality employment per 100,000 employees.
“The vitality sector helps jobs throughout a number of industries and helps jobs throughout a broad vary of occupations, creating alternative for American employees from all instructional backgrounds,” the USEER acknowledged.
The report revealed that the Fuels sector employed 1,054,400 employees, with a median wage of $62,780, the Electrical Energy Era sector employed 933,800 employees, with a median wage of $65,430, the transmission, Distribution, and Storage sector employed 1,463,700 employees, with a median wage of $59,840, the Power Effectivity sector employed 2,381,700 employees, with a median wage of $59,390, and the Motor Autos & Part Components sector employed 2,633,100 employees, with a median wage of $53,620.
The 2025 USEER states that it delivers “unmatched insights into the vitality workforce”.
“As essentially the most full annual useful resource, the USEER integrates knowledge from surveys of companies with present knowledge produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Power Data Administration (EIA),” it provides.
“The report offers definitive employment metrics and workforce intelligence for energy-related jobs,” it continues.
The USEER notes that it tracks vitality employment throughout three vitality manufacturing sectors (Fuels, Electrical Energy Era, and Transmission, Distribution, and Storage) and two finish use sectors (Power Effectivity and Motor Autos and Part Components).
To contact the writer, e-mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com

