New Labor Study Shows Marcellus Shale Energy Production Fuels Jobs And Economic Growth

API welcomed a new study by the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Labor-Management Committee that showed that industry spending in the Marcellus area on construction and maintenance grew over 60 percent between 2012 and 2013, reaching $5B, resulting in a 40 percent increase in construction jobs in eight trades.

“This study reaffirms that responsible domestic energy production is fueling our economic recovery,” said API Executive Vice President Louis Finkel. “We need to fully embrace this energy renaissance and develop the affordable reliable energy all Americans need and want.

“The US energy boom is lifting up the middle class and lowering costs for American families,” said Finkel. “Workers in our industry are earning about seven times the federal minimum wage. These are good paying jobs and we need more of them.

“We must seize this great American made opportunity by enacting smart energy policies. Energy is not a partisan issue; Washington needs to reject duplicative regulations, open the door to US energy exports, and eliminate counterproductive fuel mandates.”

About API
API represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 600 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.