Another 5,000 workers are being let go by Houston-based Halliburton. It’s on top of the 9,000 laid off in the past year during the energy downturn. A company spokeswoman indicated that the latest roun of layoffs will represent nearly 8 percent of the company’s total workforce.
“Due to ongoing market conditions” is what Halliburton blamed.
“Unfortunately we are faced with the difficult reality that reductions are necessary to work through this challenging market environment,” said Emily Mir, a spokeswoman for the company.
It is unknown how many of the layoffs might occur in Oklahoma where the company got its start in Duncan.
By the time the layoffs are finished, it will bring the total to nearly 27,000 workers laid off since the peak of 2014. At that time, the company had more than 80,000 workers. By the end of 2015, the workforce was down to about 65,000. Over the past two years, prices have plunged more than 70 percent, resulting in less drilling and less of a need for workers in the oil patch.
