I left out this category from the BLS Table B-1a: Support activities for oil and gas operations, 303,000 people.
Roughly 20% of oil is used for feedstock, for things like plastics and lubricants, so there will still be some employment in that sector. The market for oil feedstock will not vanish as quickly as the market for oil-based fuel. I predict that in the long term it will be replaced with synthetic hydrocarbons, for the reasons described in my book. I think total energy sector employment is somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 million people. That is direct employment. For example, in biofuel production that would not include farmers. If we stop using corn to make biofuel I assume it will be used for some other purpose, mainly as food.
