Sectoral study Economy

Economic impact and labour needs study in the mining sector

The QMEA commissioned Aviseo Consulting to provide a comprehensive overview of the mineral exploration sector in Quebec by studying the economic benefits of mineral exploration for Quebec and its mining regions and the challenges facing the industry with regard to labour market needs. Mineral exploration contributes greatly to regional economic development, with 65% of the wealth generated redistributed to benefit Quebec’s three major mining regions: Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Nord-du-Québec, and Côte-Nord. The importance of using technology—artificial intelligence, databases, automation, specialized software—will be emphasized in the coming years and will be one of the increasingly sought after skills in a workforce with fewer young people.

AEMQ - Étude des retombées économiques et des besoins de main-d'oeuvre dans le secteur minier

Key figures

  • Exploration and development activities contributed $441 million to Quebec’s GDP in 2017.
  • Of the wealth created, 65% is redistributed among the three major mining regions, 37% of which is redistributed in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
  • The industry supported 5,032 direct and indirect jobs in 2017.
  • The industry generated $61 million in gross tax revenues for the Quebec government.
  • Exploration activities also generated $155 million in value added for the rest of Quebec.
  • Of all the businesses that were surveyed, 55% plan to increase their number of employees over the next three to five years (between 2019 and 2024).
  • In 2018, 86% of exploration and mining companies reported incurring research-and-development-related expenses.

Insights

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