As 2025 drew to a close, oil and gas workers grumbled in social media threads about leaving the industry behind. When hopeful newcomers asked if they should still join the ranks, the answer was often a resounding: “don’t bother.”
That’s because Houston’s oil and gas industry faced a rough market this year. The price of Texas crude fell to its lowest since the pandemic. Tariffs, market consolidation, increasing geopolitical tensions and rising production costs hit companies hard.
The result was a wave of layoffs announced across the industry, including from some of Houston’s energy giants…