VIDEOWatch oil and gas recruits at a local job fair

For West Texas Job-Seekers, the Options Are Endless

Want an oil and gas job? Head to West Texas. Energy companies are sending recruiters to weekly job fairs, in search of qualified workers to fill a seemingly endless list of positions.

Some of these candidates are already employed in the industry but have an eye out for a leg up. Others are just starting out or starting all over. Most, like these folks at a Midland job fair, believe the boom won’t last forever — and say they better cash out while they can.

Midland County

Midland County by the Numbers


2000 2010 2013
Population 116,009 136,872 151,468
1999 2012 % Change
Median household income $39,100 $59,400 52%
Mean household income $52,000 $86,800 67%
2009 2010 2014
Unemployment rate 6.6% 5.5% 2.9%
Labor force 76,000 80,000 100,000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics