Limited opportunities for miners may improve
Opportunities for miners in New Zealand have declined since 2014 and around 600 jobs have been lost in the coal mining industry.
This is due to:
- poor prices for coal, oil and gold worldwide
- limits on land for mining
- closure of a major coal mining company.
However, opportunities for miners are still average and likely to increase due to:
- an expected price rise for coal, gold and oil
- new mines opening
- miners leaving to find better paid work in Australia
- an ageing workforce, so many miners will retire soon.
According to the Census, 576 miners worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Construction boom creates good demand for quarry workers
Opportunities for quarry workers are good, with a 3% increase in jobs since 2007.
This is due to our construction boom, which has created high demand for building materials such as aggregates (the rocks used to make concrete).
Chances of getting a job as a quarry worker are expected to stay good until 2023, as the demand for building materials continues and older quarry workers retire, leaving vacancies.
There are currently around 1,900 people working in quarrying.
Types of employers varied
Miners and quarry workers' employers vary from small quarries that employ two people to large quarries and mines that employ hundreds of staff.
