Buoyed by oil and gas activity, jobs are expected to be plentiful and varied in Casper as the new year dawns.

"There are lots of jobs out there, pretty much across the board," says Greg Chocas, regional manager of the Casper work force center.

And judging by the job orders handled at the center, Chocas says wages also are improving. "We are seeing a general rise in wages and actually have for the past year, or year and a half."

Some of the higher pay is coming in predictable skilled trade areas - like truck driving, welding, electricians, oil and gas employment- but even services and retail trades are seeing increases, he adds. "Wages are going up because of the general economic activity."

Despite some worker shortages in particular crafts and in some regions of the state, "in general, we should be happy with our economy," he says.

David Bullard, senior economist with the Department of Employment, Research and Planning Section, says Casper's economy "has kind of been driven by oil and gas, and relatively high energy prices." To the extent that situation continues, money generated by oil and gas development and related activities will continue to stimulate job growth throughout the local economy. Construction, wholesale trade, and even professional and business services are all affected to some extent by what happens in oil and gas.

And there is nothing on the horizon to dampen the outlook for Wyoming's energy commodities. In the short-term, the U.S. Department of Energy expects some moderation in the rate of growth in world oil demand in 2005. But demand is still expected to increase at a 2.5 percent clip, down from 3.3 percent in 2004. High world oil prices and a slackening of demand in China are expected to be factors in the lower growth rate.

Oil prices are forecast to remain in the mid-$40-per-barrel range throughout 2005, even as production by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) stays at about 30 million barrels per day.

Natural gas demand and production increases are expected to continue. In response to continued U.S. economic growth, natural gas demand is expected to increase by 3.7 percent in 2005, according to the Department of Energy outlook, and with high rates of drilling in North America, domestic natural gas production in 2005 is expected to increase by 1.9 percent.

An estimated 3,280 billion cubic feet of working gas was in storage at the end of November - 8 percent higher than one year ago and 11 percent higher than the five-year average.

"Steady increases in liquefied natural gas imports, restrained export growth, and carryover from the robust levels noted above are expected to contribute to moderate improvement in the supply picture in 2005," the outlook says.

Natural gas prices remain relatively high by historical standards. The U.S. average natural gas wellhead price ($/mcf) was $5.45 in October 2004, compared to $4.43 in October 2003 and $3.24 in October 2002, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Pat Goen of Halliburton Energy Services in Casper says he anticipates "a strong need for employees throughout the coming year." He adds that the company has had difficulty finding enough employees to satisfy its needs, to the point it may begin recruiting out of state.

"Our outlook for 2005 is very good. We continue to be in a hiring mode," he says. "Definitely we are looking to increase our work force, across the state, not just in Casper."

Equipment operators constitute the largest number of job openings, but Halliburton needs workers in about every facet of its operations except perhaps administrative support, he adds.

In the Rock Springs area alone, Halliburton expects to hire another 280 employees. The company currently employs about 1,100 people in the state.

Halliburton is one of the world's largest suppliers of products and services to the oil and gas industries. It also has bentonite mining and manufacturing facilities in Lovell and Colony.

A Manpower, Inc. employment outlook survey found that between January and March, 13 percent of the Casper firms contacted said they plan to hire new workers, while only 7 percent expect to reduce their payrolls. The other 80 percent expect to maintain their current staffing levels. A year ago, 17 percent of firms said employment increases were likely, while 17 percent intended cutbacks.

Casper area employment prospects appear best in transportation/public utilities and wholesale/retail trade, according to the survey, while firms in the mining sector expressed mixed hiring intentions for the first quarter of 2005.

In the transportation arena, Lisa Novotny, school director at Sage Technical Services, says truck drivers are being hired as fast as they can be trained. "There's always demand for somebody with a CDL (commercial driver's license)," she said. "There's a tremendous amount of need for CDLs."

While there is a big shortage of over-the-road drivers, local work is a bit slow at the moment, but that tends to pick up in the spring as construction activity increases, she adds.

As part of its program, Sage helps place students in jobs. "Most all the students go to work immediately after they graduate," Novotny says. In all its driver-related training programs, Sage graduates about 250 to 300 students a year.

The OfficeMax customer service center in Casper had a strong hiring year in 2004, in the wake of a deal that saw Boise Cascade Corporation purchase OfficeMax. General Manager Terri Mayes anticipates the center will fill another 25 positions early in 2005 to reach full staffing.

Wal-Mart expects to finish a new Supercenter store in west Casper late in 2005. Coupled with its existing store on the east side of town, Wal-Mart employment is expected to exceed 900 once the new store is opened, making the retail giant one of the largest employers in Natrona County.

Business Editor Tom Mast can be reached at tom.mast@casperstartribune.net, or by calling 1-307-265-6850.