Oil Jobs Still Buoyant in a Looming Recession?

he arteries of business and they bleed oil. Anythingresulted in a $33billion backlog of work. All of that
that interrupts the flow of this precious black liquid isneeds to be completed, meaning more jobs in the oil
likely to send the world economies into freefall. So asindustry, despite the dire news and continuing
nervous investors watched the price of oil climb toeconomic downturn in almost every other industry. In
dizzying heights earlier this year, the fear that itits current position, the oil industry looks set to ride
would lead to an implosion of the world economyout the recession in style.
looked certain to become a reality.In recent years, the driving forces behind the high
In fact, it was the world banking system that wentdemand for oil have been the rising stars of China
into meltdown, not the oil industry. In the mist of aand India. As their economies power up, their
recession, when the price of everything else seemsappetite for oil has grown exponentially. While
to be going up, oil has actually fallen in price to aChina’s third quarter growth has slowed, the
more sustainable level. Ordinary consumers haveslowdown has been negligible in comparison with the
noticed it at the pumps, with the cost of petrol andscreeching of financial brakes heard in the northern
diesel dropping dramatically in what started as a pricehemisphere. It still managed to notch up an
war between outlets. What this price war actuallyimpressive 9% growth rate – practically all of
reflected was the fall in oil price per barrel in thewhich is dependent on oil. The International Energy
commodities markets. So the oil industry is still there,Agency predicts that China and India will need 300%
and they’re still recruiting.more crude oil for their economies by 2030. That
Jobs in the oil industry are highly sought after. True,figure means more investment in location and
the recession has hit here as well, but mainly in theextraction of existing and new oil fields, which in turn
back offices and administration departments, rathermeans more jobs in the oil industry.
than on the ground or in rigging. Oil rig jobs are stillThese figures bolster the promise of a continuing
available, and companies, in their continuing search forboom time for international oil companies, who will
more of the precious black stuff, have upped thecarry on investing in exploration and new oil rigs. That
ante considerably.means only one thing – more oil rig jobs, oil
If you are an engineer, rigger or driller, there are stillcareers and greater job stability for the workforce.
plenty of oil rig jobs to choose from. NobleFactor into this equation the number of workers hired
Corporation is bringing five new oil rigs into productionin the 1970’s who are now coming up to
between 2009 and 2011, meaning a total of overretirement, and you can see that now is a good time
1,500 vacancies that need to be filled. The 2007to be looking for jobs in the oil industries.
merger between Transocean and GlobalSantaFe