Monthly employment in the oilfield services (OFS) sector surpassed 2020 levels for the first time in June, but remained well below pre-coronavirus figures logged in 2019, according to the preliminary figures from the Energy Workforce & Technology Council.

Overall, the Houston-based organization said 8,002 jobs were added in June, marking a 1.3% increase over May and a fourth consecutive month of growth. The estimates are based on monthly and quarterly employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

That brings the total number of active workers in the oilfield services sector to more than 626,000, compared to about 618,000 in May and about 615,000 one year ago, according to the analysis. However, the most recent figures still represent an 11.8% decline in OFS...