Chile's mining sector leading national job creation

Chile’s mining sector provided 263,000 direct jobs in March-May, the highest level in nine years, representing growth of 21.4% compared to same period 2021.

Over the last 12 months, the sector has generated 46,000 jobs, according to a press release by mining association Sonami.

Employment grew 13.2% in retail, 9.9% in transport and 7.7% in manufacturing, Sonami said.

The north represents 80% of mining GDP, with sector employment in Tarapacá growing 22.5%, in Antofagasta 20.5% and in Coquimbo 16.8%.

Increasing the female workforce, especially in decision-making positions, is still seen as a challenge, even though female participation grew 69% in the last 12 months to 34,650 employees.

“In 2020, female participation was only 14.6%,” Vladimir Glasinovic, head of Eleva Program, a public-private body that co-authored a study on the large-scale mining workforce, told BNamericas.

Other challenges involve incorporating new talent prepared for industry 4.0 and CCM-certified skills training, CCM executive Verónica Fincheira told BNamericas. 

Fincheira added representatives of the CCM-Eleva alliance met with officials from the mining and education ministries and the labor department to discuss decentralized mining, focused on regions, inclusive and environmentally friendly.