Study Describes North Slope Employment As A Roller Coaster

A new study describes employment on the North Slope as a roller coaster. In a report to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee Tuesday, Jim Calvin, President of the McDowell Group, presented the results of a study ordered by the Senate to determine what factors influence jobs in the oil patch. His research shows a level of jobs that are interrupted by volatile changes based on oil price and national economic factors.

“There was a period of time in 2009 and 2010 when no one seemed to be sure what was going on. You’d hear reports of people losing their jobs on the North Slope, there were employers who were no longer active and weren’t sure why.  On the other hand you’d hear reports of No No employment’s growing, it’s at the highest level ever.  All that is kind of right. There was a very, very dynamic environment,” Calvin said.

The report will become part of the record for a bill that would reduce oil company taxes.  Original arguments for that measure sponsored by Governor Parnell indicated that low oil production was responsible for high rates of unemployment within the industry.

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