Energy and mining projects to boost employment peak for 2015
03-Jul-2012 La Tercera – News
– As per survey of Corporation of Capital Assets 110,680 hirings will occur by that time
– Works delay postponed employment peak originally forecasted for the end of this year
In accordance with 5-year survey made by Corporation of Capital Assets at the closing of this quarter most of private and public projects will be in construction stage by November 2015.
149 projects are expected to be opening 110,680 direct jobs by that time. Energy and Mining sectors are leading jobs openings.
According to December 2011 report energy sector would be registering employment demand peak in December 2013 for 19,497 employees due to simultaneous construction of 38 projects, mainly thermoelectric and hydroelectric projects. However last measurements are showing that peak for the 2012—2016 period in this industry sector will only occur in March 2014 when 51 projects will be in construction stage. Explanation to this may be found in environmental hurdles, judicialization of proceedings, and lack of funds amongst others.
Meanwhile, mining sector foresees labor requirement for 2016 might reach 64,516 people.
As per the Statistical Model to Forecast Effects over Investment developed by the Corporation the private and state-related employment estimations per year are calculated for each project in accordance with average and peak employment during construction and execution stages.
Main variable mentioned by the Corporation of Capital Assets as responsible for this forecast amendment refers to schedules delays occurring each quarter and affecting large size mining projects.
Besides the five-year period ending process where projects ending construction stages in 2011 are taken off from the survey records must also be considered.
Qualified labor
In the analysis made by Corporation of Capital Assets labor demand for Energy and Mining areas will be mainly focused on qualified and non-qualified professionals and technicians. Notwithstanding, mining industry requires a higher amount of qualified technicians as well as professional employees, non-qualified staff is barely required for mining jobs because of the safety regulations and high performance requirements.
Hugo Lavados, Dean of Economics and Business Faculty at Universidad San Sebastián, agrees with the diagnosis and states that in general terms employment created by this kind of projects is aimed at specialized employees noticing in some areas there is already an important shortage of this specialized labor.
BBVA Economist, Karla Flores, has added that “this reasoning is mainly due to the fact that work force is increasing and more and more people are coming to labor market as economic growth is based on both capital and job positions increments”.
