Ohio Seeing Job Growth from Utica Shale

From the Akron Beacon Journal:
The state’s latest shale study, released earlier this month, showed job growth in what Ohio calls “core shale-related industries” grew more than 30 percent — up 1,929 jobs — from the start of 2011 through the first quarter of 2013. Ancillary shale-related industries also showed growth over that same period. 
“The industry is growing, and has grown significantly the last two years,” Johnson said. But total shale jobs figures — estimated from 9,000 to 11,000 — remain small when put in the context of Ohio’s overall 5.3 million jobs, he said. (The state’s next quarterly shale report likely will be out in February and based on figures from the second quarter of 2013.) 
The number of producing wells also remains relatively small in the state. 
As of Dec. 21, Ohio had approved 1,030 Utica shale permits. Of 658 wells that have been drilled, just 249 are in production. A total of 40 rigs are drilling in Ohio. 
Unemployment has dropped significantly in five eastern Ohio counties where Utica shale drilling is underway. In the three years since November 2010: 
• Carroll County’s jobless rate dropped from 12.7 percent to 7.6 percent last month. 
• Guernsey County’s rate fell from 12 percent to 8 percent. 
• Belmont County, from 9.7 percent to 7.8 percent. 
• Harrison County, from 12 percent to 7.7 percent. 
• Jefferson County, from 13.4 percent to 9.7 percent.
The whole article can be read by clicking here.

As usual, the truth of shale's jobs impact lies somewhere between the negative claims of activists and the glowingly positive estimates of the industry.

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