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Page added on October 14, 2016
Majority of Oil, Gas Workers Unhappy with Current Employment
Are you happy with your current oil and gas employment?
— Rigzone (@Rigzone) 14 September 2016
The majority of oil and gas workers are unhappy with their current jobs, according to a Rigzone poll on social media platform Twitter.
Out of 223 participants in the poll, 65 percent said that they were not happy with their employment. Twenty-eight percent of these people said that they used to be happy with their jobs, and 37 percent refused to draw up any positives at all about their current employment.
This result doesn’t come as a huge surprise in the present-day oil and gas climate. Since the oil price crash in 2014, a variety of companies have made things harder for employees.
Some firms, like Baker Hughes and Aker Solutions ASA, have implemented pay cuts in response to the downturn, which could easily lead to less satisfaction in the workplace. Some employees have had their work schedules and holiday patterns changed, which clearly reduced the happiness of workers, and others, such as those working for companies like BP plc or Subsea 7 S.A., have had to endure the uncertainty surrounding impending job loss plans. If you know you might lose your job in the near future, how happy are you really going to be with your employment?
Economic uncertainty in the oil and gas sector has even resulted in a rise in stress related problems among staff, said Dr. Steve Smith, a senior lecturer in mental health and well-being at Robert Gordon University.
The total number of oil and gas job losses since the onset of the industry downturn is conservatively more than 350,000 globally, according to a report by Houston-based consulting firm Graves & Co. This is a huge portion of the industry and those still working in it will likely know someone who has been affected. Maybe long-term colleagues, friends or even family have been forced to leave a company, which could have a profound effect on employment satisfaction on those left behind.
Happiness in Oil, Gas
Although the majority of respondents in the poll stated that they were unhappy with their jobs, 35 percent said that they were happy.
Twenty percent of these people still reported that some issues were hampering their job satisfaction, but 15 percent claimed that they were absolutely happy with everything about their jobs.
It’s difficult to know exactly why these people feel this way about their employment. Maybe they’re one of the lucky few whose working conditions weren’t radically affected by the downturn, or maybe they possessed skills which allowed them to seamlessly transition to less affected segments of the industry.
Another answer could be that these people are just more optimistic than the rest of the respondents.
If that is the case, several oil and gas analysts have given these respondents a reason to feel optimistic with their oil price predictions over the next couple of years, with Raymond James & Associates stating that West Texas Intermediate will average $80 per barrel by the end of 2017.
Jefferies believes that Brent will average $72 per barrel in 2018 and FirstEnergy Capital thinks that crude oil prices will rebound towards $70 per barrel in the same year.
When the oil price does eventually increase, a lot of workers will undoubtedly have a better time. More money will be available, which means more pay, less uncertainty and less job cuts.
Some factors contributing to unhappiness in the workplace will still be prevalent of course, but it’s likely that there would be a larger shift towards happiness if this poll was conducted again in a few years with the oil price hovering at around $90 per barrel.
16 Comments on "Majority of Oil, Gas Workers Unhappy with Current Employment"
Mr. Pockets on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 8:03 pm
just the beginning of the carnage to come there
penury on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 9:31 pm
So are most other employment groups,
dooma on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 10:54 pm
Welcome to the club. I eventually left the aviation sector because there was no job security. Especially after 9/11.
All that you can do is reflect on the fact that you had a good run but the good times are over.
I know people lost loved ones in that incident, but our industry never recovered from it. Just as people didn’t.
Truth Has A Liberal Bias on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 11:16 pm
Wow a Twitter poll with 223 respondents. Needless to say those respondents are sampled from a set of individuals that follow rig zone on Twitter. What a fucking bunch of retards. Must be a slow week in news.
Newsflash. Most people in all industries are not happy with their current employment.
Truth Has A Liberal Bias on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 11:20 pm
Dooma
The US airline industry recovered from 9/11 in 2006. 10 years ago! Duh!! It’s called Google. You been under a rock for 10 years?
http://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/iata-analyzes-longterm-impact-of-911-on-aviation-industry.html
Anonymous on Fri, 14th Oct 2016 11:55 pm
Im pretty sure Rig-porn was talking about unhappy Rockman types in the oil industry, and not some unhappy airline executives from 15 years ago.
dooma on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 1:14 am
THALB, you cite an article written by a travel website??
Are you for real?
I speak to people who actually work on the big white things. And I can tell you that wages across the board for ALL aviation staff have gone backward since 9/11.
So this has made it the cheapest time ever for consumers to fly. That would make positive news for a travel mag.
Remember that there are always two sides to a story, please?
dooma on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 1:18 am
Anonymous, I was just drawing some parallels to what happens when industries hit hard times.
And fuck the executives, I was talking about the actual useful people who turn spanners for a living.
dooma on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 2:19 am
You may find this more relevant….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SuGRgdJA_c
It is a long but great doco for those who have not watched it.
Enjoy.
makati1 on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 3:54 am
dooma, in my frequent crossing of the Pacific, I have noticed the change in airline personnel also. Most American owned airlines have older stewards and stewardess’, some overweight, some who should be retired. I had one lady who had to be in her sixties on the last trip. She was very nice and professional, but not the advertised young lady of old. Probably was hanging in long enough to get some SS and airline retirement. I also noticed that most of the Asian owned airlines have younger staff, mostly on their 20s, and very professional. No older people. Interesting change. Signs of the times I guess.
Dredd on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 4:42 am
Bob Dylan likes his work (Congratulations To Bob Dylan).
The banking industry has some new openings (Banker Jekyll Will Hyde Your Money – 12).
rockman on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 6:08 am
I’ve always had the same advice to unhappy hands: quit and find a job you like. Problem solved. The thread reminds me of a conversation a few years ago with a guy that owned an oil hauling company in N Daskota: tanker would load oil at well head and deliver to a depote a few hours away. That was it. He paid his better drivers $110k/yr. At best a high school degree. Better drivers being the ones not to hung over to show up every morning. But many would quite come winter: too cold/too few women/too much money in the checking account.
The good news for those unhappy: no need to apologize to the boss for quitting: there are 3 or 4 hands more then ready to take your job.
Kenz300 on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 11:45 am
Job are growing in the wind and solar industries.
Wind Power Lifting Rig Builders Past Oil’s Downturn
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/09/wind-power-lifting-lift-rig-builders-past-oil-s-downturn.html
Wind, solar and geothermal continue to grow in use every year while fossil fuel use declines
Climate Change will be the defining issue of our lives…
23 States to Rely on Geothermal, Solar, or Wind Power as a Primary Source of Electric Generation in 2016
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/09/23-states-to-rely-on-geothermal-solar-or-wind-power-as-a-primary-source-of-electric-generation-in-2016.html
Apneaman on Sat, 15th Oct 2016 8:52 pm
Majority of Humans Unhappy with Current Life…….same as it ever was.
Repent on Sun, 16th Oct 2016 11:18 am
My brother worked for years on drill rigs. Now that most rigs are idle, and they have been for sometime, he got a job on a chicken farm.
I don’t want to be raising chickens in my future
Kenz300 on Sun, 16th Oct 2016 11:49 am
China made great progress in moving its people out of poverty One reason was slowing population growth.
Too many people leads to too much unemployment.
CLIMATE CHANGE, declining fish stocks, droughts, floods, air water and land pollution, poverty, water and food shortages all stem from the worlds worst environmental problem OVER POPULATION.
Yet the world adds 80 million more mouths to feed, clothe, house and provide energy and water for every year… this is unsustainable… and is a big part of the Climate Change problem
More people. More problems.