Texas crude oil and natural gas production is accelerating along with higher commodity prices, but payroll numbers are lower, a trade group reported. The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers estimated about 215,000 people were on the payrolls of oil and gas firms in the state, about 27.5 percent below the estimated peak in December 2014. A decade ago, one person was employed in the exploration and production sector in Texas per 2,000 barrels of production. By 2016, that ratio was closer to 6,000 barrels per employee. Federal data show that, nation-wide , the sector is hiring. In March, about 2,000 workers were added to payrolls for oil and gas extraction, while the mining sector added 9,000. Total non-farm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in March For the sector […]