Oil and gas extraction industry employment in the U.S. 1998-2020

The United States oil and gas extraction industry employed some 127,000 people in 2020, including both full-time and part-time employment. The 2020 oil crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic led to a decline of 15,000 people in this industry’s workforce. Petroleum engineers and wellhead pumpers make up the largest occupation group in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry.

Employment at ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is among the largest employers within this industry. The Texas-based oil supermajor is active in all areas of the supply chain, from hydrocarbon exploration to fuel retailing. In 2020, the number of employees at ExxonMobil amounted to 72,000 people. This was a loss of some 3,000 jobs when compared to the year prior and down from nearly 100,000 jobs back in 2001.

State-owned supermajors are largest industry employers on global stage

With its workforce of 72,000 people, ExxonMobil ranks 13th in a list of largest oil and gas companies worldwide by employment. The majority of companies listed are state-owned enterprises, such as Russia’s Gazprom and China’s PetroChina. As of 2021, both employed over 400,000 people each. India-based Reliance Industries is the largest privately held company within this ranking, providing over 230,000 jobs.