API study: O&G industry has $44B impact on Pa. economy
The Pennsylvania division of the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday released a new study showing that the U.S. natural gas and oil industry supported 322,600 jobs in the state and contributed $44.46 billion to the state’s economy in 2015.
The study, commissioned by API and conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, found that all 50 states, whether energy producing or not, continued to benefit from the industry.
“Pennsylvania is an epicenter of America’s energy renaissance,” said API’s Pennsylvania Executive Director Stephanie Catarino Wissman. “Supporting 322,600 jobs in Pennsylvania, the oil and natural gas industry continues to be an important part of the state’s economy as a whole. Under pro-growth energy policies, not punitive taxes and regulations, the industry will have the opportunity to grow and benefit generations to come.”
The study showed that the natural gas and oil industry supported 10.3 million U.S. jobs in 2015. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage paid by the natural gas and oil industry in 2016, excluding retail station jobs, was $101,181 which is nearly 90 percent more than the national average.
In a separate breakout focused on Pennsylvania, the study noted that in addition to the 106,200 direct jobs in oil and gas production, the industry supported tens of thousands of positions in other industries in Pennsylvania, including services (118,000), wholesale and retail (30,900); manufacturing (14,200); construction (4,900); transportation and warehousing (12,100); and other (36,300).
API Pennsylvania is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy.