AUSTIN, Texas—According to newly released data from the Texas Workforce Commission for September 2026, upstream oil and natural gas employment decreased slightly in September compared with August 2026.

Total upstream salaried employment was 196,400 jobs in September 2026, up 2,400 jobs from September 2025 but had a dip of about 500 jobs from August to September 2026.

Since September 2020, Texas upstream oil and gas employment has increased by 39,400 jobs, a gain of over 25 percent.

“Month-to-month, job numbers will move. Texas oil and natural gas exploration and production employment is up from a year ago and has grown by more than 25 percent since 2020. With global tensions weighing on industries worldwide, Texas producers keep delivering the energy Americans rely on every day while nearing historic production highs. To keep this momentum going, it is imperative that pro-reliable energy policies are prioritized to ensure our industry can grow the workforce and move product to market,” said TXOGA President Todd Staples.

TXOGA is committed to connecting job seekers with employment opportunities to support Texas’ workforce. TXOGA created a Career Center to provide a one-stop shop that assists workers with their job searches, career planning, and resumes. Employers can also use the platform to share job openings and showcase their companies to potential employees. Access to these tools can be found at careers.txoga.org.

BACKGROUND:

“Upstream employment” in the oil and natural gas industry refers to jobs that focus on locating and extracting energy resources.

Upstream positions support an additional 232,000 indirect jobs within the supply chain and 421,000 induced jobs supported by household spending across the economy. In total, the upstream oil and natural gas sector alone sustains a total of 849,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs.