Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt says the latest jobs figures have again confirmed the importance of the mining industry to Australia with a big increase in the number of Australians employed in the sector.

Minister Pitt said the figures are a testament to how crucial the resources industry has been to Australia in the COVID recovery.

“The number of people employed in mining jumped by 22,000, or nearly 10 per cent, in the three months to November last year, providing jobs for 264,000 Australians,” Minister Pitt said.

“Coal mining was the standout during the quarter, jumping by 25 per cent to employ an extra 11,000 people and a total of 62,000 across the country.

“It’s also a 23 per cent increase over the year and is the most number of Australians employed in the sector since 2012, which is a phenomenal result and hardly an indication of an industry in decline as some activists suggest,” Minister Pitt said.

“Encouragingly, the recovery in oil prices in the second half of last year saw employment in the oil and gas sector increase by 13,000.

“Over one million Australians are also employed indirectly by the resources sector in everything from technical support to local corner shops.

“The resources sector has delivered for Australia at a time we needed, and I thank all in the industry who’ve kept the production lines running without skipping a beat to overcome the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Pitt said.

Media contact: Minister Pitt's office 02 6277 7180