Local Impact
In West Virginia alone, the oil and natural gas industry already supports 35,000 jobs in West Virginia, and over 7,000 new jobs can be created through Marcellus Shale development.
Greg Babe, president and CEO of Bayer Corporation and Bayer MaterialScience LLC, and a native of New Martinsville, WV, recently wrote in the Wheeling Intelligencer, “as Marcellus development expands and high-paying jobs become more abundant, a host of industries are attracted to our region. That means tax revenue to support state and community needs. Together, these factors spell out a bright, prosperous future for our region.”
These jobs and business opportunities are not just in exploring, producing, refining, transporting and marketing oil and natural gas, but their activity also drives employment through the purchase of other goods and services that support the industry's operations. Equipment suppliers, construction companies, management specialists, and food service businesses all possess strong links to the industry. These businesses, in turn, purchase other goods and services that support other jobs throughout West Virginia and the nation. This type of ancillary economic activity will continue to grow and create much needed jobs. In fact, recent studies have suggested that most oil and gas industry jobs are going to come from businesses that serve the needs of the drillers rather than the gas companies themselves.
Following are some of the industries and businesses that are generating the economic activity in the region:
- Wholesale and retail trade
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Real estate and rental
- Health and social services
- Professional and technical services
- Catering
- Concrete
- Banking
- Landscaping
- Janitorial
- Painting
- Sign making
- Tree removal/logging
- Welding
- X-Ray inspection companies
- Fire and Safety Companies
- Airlines, private and scheduled
Read more:
- The Economic Impact of the Natural Gas Industry and the Marcellus Shale Development in West Virginia
- The Economic Impacts of the Marcellus Shale: Implications for New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
- A Drive for New Jobs through Energy (National Geographic)
- Shale Country
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