Energy Companies Seeking Ohio Residents to Join Work Force
Drilling for oil and gas in the Utica shale underlying eastern Ohio has led to an increase in plentiful, well-paying jobs in the region, with established operations actively seeking local workers rather than outsiders. While some companies used experienced workers from other states to begin drilling operations, jobs for drivers, welders, diesel mechanics and other trades will be going to local workers in areas where wells have been drilled. Utica shale development has been credited as a factor in Ohio’s unemployment rate dropping from 8.6% in 2011 to 6.5% in November of 2012, and there are projections that development of the Utica will generate more than 140,000 jobs in Ohio by 2020.