The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that there were 2,075 people employed in the mining industry at May 2005, a decrease of 1.2% on the 2001 figure. Wages and salaries totalled $92.4m in 2002-03, a decrease of 6.6% on the June 2002 figure.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE MINING INDUSTRY, Tasmania
	Males (a)	Females (a)	Persons (a)	Wages & salaries (b) (c)
Year	no.	no.	no.	$m
2000/01	1,800	325	2,125	78.2
2001/02	1,550	75	1,600	^ 98.9
2002/03	1,775	125	1,900	92.4
2003/04	1,850	200	2,050	65.7
2004/05	1,900	175	2,075	nya
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution nya not yet available (at time of table preparation) (a) Averages calculated on quarterly original estimates. (b) Figure excluding services to mining. (c) Excludes amounts drawn by working proprietors. Sources: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001), Mining Operations, Australia (cat. no. 8415.0).

Direct employment in the Tasmanian mining industry has fallen over the past 30 years because of mine closures, productivity-driven retrenchment programs, and a trend towards the use of contractors. However over the last decade the decline in employment has halted and the total number of persons employed has remained above 1,500.

Contractors are classified according to the activity they are performing (for example, construction and transport) rather than to the industry they are serving (for example, mining). There were estimated to be 878 full-time equivalent contractors in the Tasmanian mining industry in 2002-03, a decrease of 6.3% on the 30 June 2002 figure of 934 (Source: Tasmanian Minerals Council Annual Report, 2003-04).

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