RURAL COMMUNITIES
M
ost drilling activity in South Texas, however, has occurred in rural communities instead of
metro areas. In 2014, oil and gas jobs made up more than one in five jobs in five counties
of South Texas: Dimmit, Jim Wells, La Salle, Live Oak, and McMullen. Drilling activity also
accounted for nearly 20 percent of local employment in Duval and Refugio counties. Naturally,
the relative sizes of oil and gas employment in those communities make their economies
particularly vulnerable to future developments in oil and gas production.
Oil & Gas Shares of South Texas County Employment, 2014
OIL IMPACTS
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Annual Review of South Texas Economy
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