Optimism has returned to the U.S. oil and gas industry, and there were plenty of businesses with vacancies looking to hire during the recent 2011 Offshore Technology Conference, according to Chron.
The news source notes that in March there were 12,500 new vacancies posted on industry job site Oilcareers.com – 60 percent more than there were year-over-year, while online applications doubled.
"We're definitely back in heavy growth mode," Billy Stein, recruiting manager for engineering and construction company Aker Solutions, tells the media outlet.
Rising oil prices and economic recovery have fueled the hiring trend, while growth in U.S. shale gas and oil drilling, resumption of exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and increased international work in Brazil, Iraq and Africa have also acted as pillars for progress.
While U.S. unemployment still hovers at around 9 percent, a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that for the first time since 2007, there has been a double-digit increase in spring hiring projections.
The media organization adds that the best industries for jobs are oil and gas extraction companies – with chemical manufacturers, insurance and real estate employers also reporting positive outlooks.