LAFAYETTE. La. (KLFY) – After two years of massive jobs cuts laid off oil and gas workers could soon find relief. The steady decline in the oil and gas industry has been devastating for many families here in Acadiana.
Nationwide, nearly two hundred thousand jobs have been lost since 2014, but recent predictions say the industry is making a comeback.
According to the Goldman Sachs report, the industry is expecting a boost in drilling activity that would create between 80,000 to 100,000 jobs by the end of 2018.
Louisiana Oil and Gas Association President Don Briggs said the steady rise in the industry could actually result in a shortage of workers.
“When you lose that many people and they go into other jobs and other profession then we lose that expertise. So what they are predicting is a shortage of workers in the industry when this comes back and rebounds.”
Briggs said while this is good news, he wants to remind those looking for work it won’t happen over night.
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel. There is always hope and we want to believe that and we know the industry is going to come back. It’s going to take time a recovery is a lot slower then the downfall.”
Briggs said the industry is ultimately based on supply and demand, but he said the future is looking bright.
http://klfy.com/2016/07/15/experts-predict-oil-and-gas-industry-comeback/
