Op-ed: Oil and Natural Gas Companies Can Provide Jobs Boost
Jane Van Ryan
Posted December 8, 2009
The administration recently held a Jobs Summit to help determine the best way to put Americans back to work as quickly as possible. Today, API chairman and Devon CEO Larry Nichols authored an op-ed in The Hill that discusses how the U.S. oil and natural gas industry can be a part of the jobs solution.
The U.S. oil and gas industry is one of the largest employers in the country, supporting more than 9 million well-paying jobs including many green jobs. From 2004-2007 alone, the industry created 2 million new jobs. If Congress and the administration provided increased access to America's own oil and natural gas resources on federal lands, the industry could create 160,000 new jobs while generating more than $1.7 trillion in government revenue.
Canadian oil sands development and the development of Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale also could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for our nation.
In his Op-Ed Nichols says:
"Our industry supports 9.2 million jobs in all segments of the economy, from manufacturing to retail, and it adds more than $1 trillion to the nation's economy. So it's not just the oilfield or refinery workers who benefit from a healthy oil and natural gas industry, but also your local car dealer and restaurant owner, and the nearby Wal-Mart--and all those who work for them."
The oil and natural gas industry can be part of the solution to the challenge of creating jobs and put America back to work.
For more information, read the full op-ed in today's The Hill and API's jobs brochure below.