Growth scores mining jobs boost its lowest since 2006 for projects brake
Stagnation is also governed by the policy of cost reduction that have implemented large companies.
High income from mining in recent years brought about a sharp increase in jobs. Example of that is the advance of 24% who scored the employment derived from this sector between 2010 and 2012.
However, this explosive growth recorded last year stagnation. According to figures from the Mining Council, based on INE statistics, last year mining contributed with 928 000 job positions, representing a slight increase of 1.3% over 2012 figures.
This breakthrough is the lowest within the sector since 2006, when the number of jobs provided by mining in terms of both direct and indirect jobs declined.
In addition, between 2009 and 2012 the contribution of the industry in the creation of new jobs has not been below 10%. The peak was found in the 2010 season, when there was a 24% increase, after joining 150 thousand new jobs.
In the mining industry explain the slowdown in the growth of jobs resulting from their activity is related to the postponement of investments.
This is because one of the areas where most staff are in demand construction sites of new mining projects.
This version is supported by the general manager of the Association of Major Suppliers of Mining (Aprimin), Juan Carlos Olivares, who notes that in 2013 the suspension of projects has resulted in a lower labor demand.
An example of that was paralyzing the Gold & Silver Pascua Lama Project, which-in its construction phase-employed, including direct and indirect workers, about three thousand people.-
Also, segments such as mining exploration, Olivares adds, have been one of the most bitter in recruitment
This factor, pointing from the industry, it also adds the strong cost containment plan that have implemented large companies, which has resulted in a decrease in the provision of outsourced people.
Over the past year, Codelco revised 260 contracts with suppliers modifying, merging and reducing some agreements to reduce costs and increase labor productivity in their tasks.
This practice has been replicated by the major mining companies in the country, which have seen as threatening the strong increase in labor costs in their tasks.
Workers migrate to construction
The slower growth of jobs in the mining sector has led workers to look for options in other areas such as construction.
According to INE’s data, the latter category posted a 7% increase in the number of jobs created in 2013 in relation to the previous season.
The construction industry has experienced in recent years a strong shortage of workers due to migration of people into mining operations.
The latter has been slowing in 2013, say from the mining sector, as wages in the construction segment have risen and demand from the north for mining tasks has slowed.
From 2010 to date the construction was the sector that led the increases in wages, with a real increase of 16% and 30.6% of nominal.
Source: El Mercurio
