Finding workers is proving an issue for oil and gas companies who are trying to develop Canada?s natural gas and oil sand resources. Chevron alone will need up to 5,500 workers and in some places are offering them housing with indoor driving ranges, movie theaters, and gyms. Wages have soared as much as 60% above the average for similar jobs in the U.S. Over the course of the next decade it is expected that more than 47,900 oil and gas jobs will open in Canada. The labor market projection is reminiscent of the growth in wages and demand experienced over the past couple decades in Australia where welders can earn up to $454,000 annually.
See "Canada wages soar 60% higher than US amid labor shortage", Rebecca Penty, Fuelfix.com, December 9, 2013