Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) today released the results of its annual workforce survey, a real-time overview of the employment makeup of the region’s natural gas industry. The results – based on 2012 data provided by more than 100 MSC member companies – indicate that 96 percent are from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and New York, all states in the Appalachian Basin.

“We are proud of the talented and hardworking men and women developing these clean-burning, homegrown energy resources,” MSC CEO Kathryn Klaber said. “The results of this survey illustrate that our industry’s workforce is strong and growing.”

Highlights from the survey include:

  • 30 percent of new hires work in equipment operations; 20 percent in operations and maintenance, 13 percent in commercial, 11 percent in engineering and construction, 8 percent in administration and 4 percent in EH&S;
  • The research identifies which positions were most difficult to fill in 2012;
  • The functions and services companies outsourced;
  • Workforce diversity, compared with Pennsylvania’s general population; and
  • Recruitment methods and challenges, including educational and professional training needs.

According to research, surveyed companies expect to directly hire some 4,000 new employees in 2013 in areas ranging from engineering and construction to operations and maintenance, environmental health and safety and administration, among others.

Added Klaber: “Our member companies are increasingly hiring and training local talent, which remains a top industry priority. And despite the sluggish economic trends nationally, the opportunities available for careers in shale exploration and production continue to grow. Yet to sustain and further expand these hiring trends, we must ensure that common sense polices are in place, especially as it relates to local zoning. We certainly encourage anyone interested in learning more to visit our online Job Portal to learn more.”

The MSC Job Portal, workforce survey results and other helpful resources are available at MarcellusCoalition.org.