IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) – One Iberia Parish oil drilling company is looking for skilled workers to join their team.
What does this mean for the oil and gas economy?

Just about anyone you speak to in the oil and gas industry will tell you it’s been a rough four years.
But it looks like things are slowly getting back to normal at the Port of Iberia.

“Compared to the last three years it’s been on a sliding scale, down down and down and then in August of last year Iberia parish sales tax revenue started going up in single digits and now its double-digit increases,” Port of Iberia director Craig Romero.

Romero said the barometer of the local economy is sales tax collections.

“That tells you that people are working. They have money in their pockets and their spending it.”

Which says a lot. According to Romero, a large part of the Iberia Parish workforce is oil and gas-related, and the business appears to be picking up steam.

Parker Drilling is currently looking to hire about 120 people to join their Inland Barge Division.

“That’s why we’re trying to get the word out! Anybody looking for a job and wants to go to work, has any experience on rigs whether you work in the kitchen or whatever,” Romero said. “There’s a lot of jobs on these barge rigs.”

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