Companies started to see a turnaround in demand for oil field services last year, with a surge around January.

Things are picking up for oilfield service firms in central Wyoming. Firms are drilling again or setting up to drill, and that means demand for mechanics, drivers and machinists.

A lot of companies are having trouble finding eligible workers, Laura Berry, HR manager for the Fluid Management Division of A&W Water Services, told the Idaho Statesman.

Wyoming's economy is still fairly weak. A triple bust in gas, oil and coal has knocked out a significant portion of the workforce over the last three years. In a fossil fuel state, when the jobs go, so do the workers. The state's unemployment rate was four percent in February. It's low for a reason — many people looking for jobs left.

"You do end up losing people, because you can't find enough work to keep them going," said Marcie Klein, manager of safety services for Bar-S Services Inc. "When the downturn hit around this area, everybody fled."

The family-owned company serves a number of needs in the oilfields from roustabout crews to rig movers. It's headquartered in Cheyenne.

A backlog of applications to drill has some anticipating significant activity in the years to come if the price of oil is stable. But Klein said her company isn't staffing for the future. They are staffing for now.

Service companies like A&W Water Services say the same. They started to see a turnaround in demand for oil field services last year, with a surge around January.

The firm can offer positions up to $80,000 a year.

img: https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/about/wyoming