Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging implications on the global economy, and the Canadian mining industry has not been immune. Lockdowns and travel restrictions have resulted in temporary mine closures, and forced mining companies to halt or scale down production activities. Mining employers, who already face shortages of skilled labour, have had to rapidly adjust their recruitment and training efforts to meet operational demands. Despite these unprecedented measures, early signs of recovery point to the resiliency of the industry and give reasons for optimism in the near term, though the longer-term outlook remains uncertain. The mining sectors response to COVID-19 will likely have a long-lasting impact by altering the way that mines operate in the future.
This presentation highlights key findings from recent research conducted on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian mining workforce by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR). Using data derived from Statistics Canada and primary data collected by MiHR, this presentation provides an overview on the extent of the impact, employer responses to workforce recovery and lessons learned.