Additional engineering jobs in the US are being created by the power industry in Oklahoma.

This is according to a new report, which suggested the oil and gas market is witnessing strong performance and is "the cornerstone of the state's economy"

Carried out by experts from Oklahoma City University, the study pointed out that the sector has seen its workforce expand by 46.2 per cent since 2002.

It was published by the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board (OERB), which stated the markets are responsible for one-third of the total fiscal output of the state, producing 67 million barrels of oil in 2009 and natural gas totalling 1.85 trillion cubic feet.

Russell Evans, executive director of the Oklahoma City University's Steven C Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute, stated: "The oil and gas industry is still Oklahoma’s number one defining industry."

He predicted that the field "is likely in a continuing boom period - even if modest - relative to pre-recession activity", which could generate further engineering jobs.

Recent employment data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown more jobs are being created following the economic downturn, with 54,000 new roles added in May 2011.

Posted by Fiona Summers