Labor productivity has improved significantly over the last decade, rising an average of nearly 4% between 1987 and 1997. The industry is producing more, using less labor. In 1997 the average hourly wage for production workers was $24 per hour, the highest wage paid to production workers in the nation [DOC 1997]. However, the U.S. oil and gas industry has seen a substantial loss of jobs, in contrast to the significant job creation occurring throughout most of the economy. In the first two months of 1999, the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry lost 21,000 jobs. The refining sector has lost over 75,000 jobs, or 45% of the workforce, since February 1982. [API 1999]