Time to get rid of the low hanging fruit.
Spoiler alert: the closer you are to the valve the safer you are.
Major oil companies are actively laying off workers in 2025, driven by a combination of falling oil prices (hovering around $63 per barrel, below the $65 threshold many consider necessary for profitable drilling), post-merger redundancies, cost-cutting initiatives to boost shareholder returns, and broader industry shifts toward efficiency through technology and offshoring. These layoffs are part of a larger trend where U.S. oil and gas production has reached record highs, but employment has declined by about 25% compared to a decade ago, as companies produce more with fewer workers via advanced drilling techniques, automation, and remote operations. This has led to job losses even in booming regions like the Permian Basin, affecting communities in states like Texas, California, and Pennsylvania.