Quick Takes

Author: Catalyst

Published: May 2012

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Jobs in mining, gas and the oil industry take a considerable amount of training to perform. Most job earnings are higher than the average for all industries. Employment overall is expected to decline in all sectors except coal mining.¹ Meanwhile jobs in the green energy sector are growing with investments made by both governments and private companies.²

Women in Canada’s Gas, Mining, and Oil Industry

Percent Canadian Women Employed in Mining, Oil and Gas Extraction Industry in 2011 ³

 

Canadian women are experienced and interested in employment in the mining sector, that range from the office to lab, to heavy equipment operators as well as management, executive and boardroom levels.⁴

• 14.6% of mining employers have recruitment policies targeted at women.⁵
• In 2010, Canada had 968 mines.⁶
  • In 2010, mining contributed $36 billion (2.9%) to Canada's GDP.⁷
  • Mining employs one out of every 55 Canadian workers.⁸
  • The mining and exploration sector is projected to experience a severe labor shortage by 2017, with a potential hiring need of 60,000 in the next decade.⁹
• Labor force diversity will be essential to meet this labor shortage and retention will be essential as the competition for skilled labor increases.¹⁰

Percent of Canadian Women and Men Employed in Select Occupations in the Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction Industries, 2006¹¹

 

Wage Gap between Canadian Women and Men in the Mining and Exploration Sector¹²

Industry	Women	Men	% Difference
Coal Mining	$55,139	$71,363	22.7%
Metal Ore	$55,278	$81,196	31.9%
Support Activities for Mining	$40,634	$71,233	43.0%
Iron and Steel mills & ferro-alloy manufacturing	$47,367	$67,041	29.3%
Alumina and aluminum production & processing	$50,705	$67,761	25.2%

Diversity in Canada’s Gas, Mining, and Oil Industry

• Aboriginal workers make up 7.5% of the mining workforce.¹³ Visible minorities make up less than 3% of the minerals and metals industry workforce.¹⁴
• In Canada, unions play a major role in improving gender diversity in the mining industry.¹⁵
• Women cited gender specific challenges to career advancement in mining including:¹⁶
  • Work culture¹⁷
  • Lack of mentor/network¹⁸
  • Perceptions of their ability¹⁹
  • Lack of flexible work arrangements²⁰

United States

• *In the U.S., employment in mining (except for coal) is projected to decline 14.5% by 2018 due to the new technologies and extraction techniques which will replace workers.²¹
  • Green energy is poised to grow with investments made by both governments and private companies.²²
  • The US Department of Labor advocates the green energy sector for women as a non-traditional, job opportunity to increase wages. ²³

Percent of U.S. Women and Men Employed in Select Occupations in the Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction Industries, 2011²⁴

 

Mining Industry Professionals by Select Country and Occupation (2008) ²⁵

Country	Legislators, senior officials, managers		Professionals
	Women	Men	Women	Men
Canada	16.6%	82.8%	27.9%	72.1%
United States	31.6%	68.4%	12.2%	86.6%
Australia	15.0%	85.0%	22.8%	77.2%
Brazil (2007)	15.0%	85.0%	26.2%	73.8%
Mexico	4.0%	96.0%	34.5%	65.5%
Russian Fed (2007)	14.7%	84.2%	42.6%	57.4%

Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding.

Sources

¹ BLS, "Mining," Career Guide to Industries 2010-11 Edition(2009).

² US Department of Labor, Industry Sector Opportunities: Women Working in Alternative Energy Fact Sheet—Revised (August 2010).

³ Catalyst, Pyramid: Women in Canadian Mining, Oil, and Gas Extraction (March 8, 2012). Catalyst, 2011 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Board Directors (2012). Catalyst, 2010 Catalyst Census of Women Senior Officers and Top Earners of the FP500 (2011). Statistics Canada, "282-0008" CANSIM (2012)

⁴ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

⁵ Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council, Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in Canada’s Minerals and Metals Sector Summary Report. (2005).

⁶ The Mining Association, "Facts and Figures of the Canadian Mining Industry 2011" (2012).

⁷ The Mining Association, "Facts and Figures of the Canadian Mining Industry 2011" (2012).

⁸ The Mining Association, "Facts and Figures of the Canadian Mining Industry 2011" (2012).

⁹ Women in Mining Canada, Ramp-Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹⁰ Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council, Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in Canada’s Minerals and Metals Sector Summary Report (2005).

¹¹ Statistics Canada, 2006 Census, Industry - North American Industry Classification System 1997.

¹² Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹³ The Mining Association, "Facts and Figures of the Canadian Mining Industry 2011" (2012).

¹⁴ Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council, Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in Canada’s Minerals and Metals Sector Summary Report (2005).

¹⁵ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹⁶ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹⁷ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹⁸ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

¹⁹ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

²⁰ Women in Mining, Canada, Ramp Up: A Study on the Status of Women in Canada’s Mining and Exploration Sector (2010).

²¹ BLS, "Mining," Career Guide to Industries 2010-11 Edition(2009).

²² US Department of Labor, Industry Sector Opportunities: Women Working in Alternative Energy Fact Sheet—Revised (August 2010).

²³ Public Policy Associates,Incorporated, in partnership with Wider Opportunities for Women, as part of the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau’s, A Woman’s Guide to Green Jobs. (2010).

²⁴ Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2011," Annual Averages 2011 (2011).

²⁵ ILO, Laborsta, Table 1E "Economically Active Population, by Industry and by Occupation (Thousands)"

UPDATED May 3, 2012