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Oil and natural gas activity directly creates jobs in surveying, leasing, drilling, transportation, production, refining and other industry related operations. But did you know it also generates hundreds of thousands of jobs indirectly?

Oil and natural gas creates jobs in construction, hotels, banking, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and other business sectors in communities where production is in full swing. In fact, roughly one-quarter of all Oklahoma jobs are directly or indirectly tied to the oil and natural gas industry.

Each industry job generates more than two additional non-industry jobs statewide, which equates to over 424,800 total jobs. Collectively, those jobs generate an estimated $65.7 billion in total state output in both direct and indirect economic activity.

These numbers tell an impressive job-generation story on their own, but what impact is it having on communities? What does it mean for main streets in local towns near oil and natural gas discoveries? New jobs and funding for roads, bridges, other infrastructure and schools. Across the state, communities like Chickasha and Kiefer are directly, and indirectly benefiting from oil & natural gas.

“Before the oil and natural gas came in, we had lots of buildings available. Several energy companies are now in those buildings. And that drives our need for housing, hotels, restaurants – you name it. One energy company put close to 50 million dollars into one building. Local people worked on the project and all those indirect dollars flowed into our community. Now that company is hiring between 80 and 100 people.”

—Christy Elkins, CEO, Chickasha Economic Development

More jobs, more revenue, financial stability and more funding for schools. The positive impacts of Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry are undeniable. But the most important benefits aren’t just measured in numbers. They’re measured in brighter futures made possible by the additional jobs oil and natural gas brings across our state.

EnergyHQ is powered by the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board – OERB – which is voluntarily funded by the state's oil and natural gas producers and royalty owners. The OERB provides free environmental restoration of abandoned well sites and works to educate the state's citizens about the oil and natural gas industry. For more on the OERB's mission and how it is funded, visit OERB.com.