The good news: The latest shale drilling boom is providing jobs for those who, just a couple of years ago, were unemployed. The not-so-good news: West Texas’ labor shortage is a problem. Nearly all the workers who want jobs in the 17-county area of the Permian Basin are employed, according to data compiled by the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission.

The commission noted that, in February 2018, the Permian region’s unemployment rate was at 2.9%, lower than the Texas rate of 4% and the 4.1% national average. Regional unemployment dropped nearly 2% in 2017, with nearly every county in the region reporting unemployment rates below the state’s average.

Some of the shortages are a result of the worker drain from “low oil,” when employees left the industry for good. The lack of workers means companies are going further to find workers and are paying them more. This, in turn, is increasing production costs.

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