Myth: “Fracking will create over 64,000 jobs.”

Fact: This oft-quoted figure comes from a report commissioned by fracking industry trade body UKOOG in April 2014.

However, what they don’t tell you is how this headline figure is arrived at. The report’s estimate of 64,500 jobs relates to a best-case scenario of 4,000 fracking wells in 2024-26 (requiring a total spend of £33 billion).  However, only about 6,100 of these would be direct jobs in the gas industry. The extra 58,400 jobs are described as indirect or induced jobs, with little explanation how this figure is arrived at.

Compare this to a similar report commissioned by DECC, which stated that only 15,900 to 24,300 full-time jobs – direct and indirect – would be created at peak construction by the shale gas industry. They would typically be short term, and few go to local people. This is fewer than the 27,000 jobs already lost or under threat because of the government’s cuts in support to the solar industry alone.

“rural community businesses that rely on clean air, land, water, and/or a tranquil environment may suffer losses from this change such as agriculture, tourism, organic farming, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.” – Draft Shale Gas Rural Economy Impacts paper, DEFRA