The price of Brent oil has fallen by more than 10% in the last week and a half and is now trading at around $73 per barrel, close to its 9-month low. Although the headlines in recent days have been dominated by developments on the supply side,

The number of workers in US oil fields and the amount they’re paid have now fallen for two straight months to their lowest levels this year, indicating the wave of mergers and acquisitions in the sector are taking a toll on employment.