West Texas oilfield industry led the nation in job growth, with employment in the Midland County area surging by nearly 12 percent — more than seven times the national average, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

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The surge was driven by the oil production boom in the Permian Basin, where output is breaking records and billions of dollars are being invested in pipelines and storage to move crude to Gulf Coast refining and export markets. The flood of money and workers coming into the county is not only creating jobs in the oil field, but also in the sectors, from construction to hospitality to transportation that provide goods and services to the energy industry. [read more]