Jobs in the Mexican Mining Industry Rose by 22 Percent
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Jobs in the Mexican Mining Industry Rose by 22 Percent

Photo by:   Omid Roshan
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Karin Dilge By Karin Dilge | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Tue, 01/10/2023 - 15:32

Despite lower global metal prices and missed foreign direct investment opportunities, Mexico’s mining industry created 22 percent more jobs during November 2022.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the electric and extractive industries employed 479,145 workers in November 2022. The number represents 86,953 more jobs than the 392,192 registered during the same month in 2021. In addition, the Ministry of Energy (SENER) reported that until the end of the year, the industry gave jobs to 421,833 people, more than the 406,179 jobs occupied until the end of 2021. 

Jobs have risen since 2020, the worst year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the industry generated 367,935 jobs. In 2016, the sector employed over 354,702 people and this figure increased in 2020.

From the total of the jobs created, 39.5 percent were concentrated in non-metallic mineral refining, 32 percent in the basic metals industry, 19 percent in extracting and harnessing metals, 8.8 percent in extracting and harnessing coal, graphite and non-metallic minerals and 0.7 percent in salt extraction.

Similarly, 15.3 percent of these jobs were concentrated in Nuevo Leon, 9.1 percent in Coahuila, 8.6 percent in the State of Mexico and the remaining 37 percent was distributed among the rest of the country, with each additional state contributing no more than 6 percent.

Mining is considered one of the most dangerous industries due to the number of accidents and risks that workers face. The Mexican mining sector has worked hard to mitigate risks and prevent accidents by applying more rigorous standards and procedures. These allow mines to be productive without neglecting their personnel, CAMIMEX said in its 2022 report.

In the past decade, Mexico has experienced more than 270 mining-related accidents, in which 270 mining workers died and 108 others sustained injuries. In recent years, the number of accidents has decreased significantly, from an average of 36 per year in 2015 to only two in 2022 due to the efforts of the sector to improve operations.

Experts assured that although the mining sector has improved regarding safety, as losses of human life dropped to an all-time low, there are still areas of opportunity; mining remains one of the industries with the highest fatality rates. “We have a big gap to narrow in Mexico. There are certain limitations that put Mexico behind other countries. However, we are on the right path toward technology, automation and data science, which is crucial. Technology must be applied to increase production while protecting employees’ safety,” said Adrián Márquez, Director, VMX Mine Pro Mexico, at Mexico Mining Forum 2022.

Photo by:   Omid Roshan

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