Australian mining jobs will likely rise as online advertisements grow

Australia witnessed a growth in its online job advertisements for February, as reported by the latest Internet Vacancy Index (IVI), released on Thursday. This marks an increase in the fifth consecutive month. The report suggests the demand for labour in some of the country’s mining regions will also enhance.

According to the Department of Employment, online advertisements saw a rise of 0.1 percent – reaching 167,000 in trend terms. This marked an increase of 2.2 percent from a year earlier. Advertisements in seven of the eight occupational groups grew in the last month.

The largest percentage growths were seen in occupations including machinery operators and drivers, technicians and trade workers and managers. Advertisements increased in 27 of 37 regions, several of which are associated with the mining sector.

South Australia saw the highest increase in its online job advertisements, leading the way with a growth of 1.3 percent. Western Australia came in a close second with 1 percent, suggesting that firmer commodity prices could be a healthy sign for mining oriented sectors. New South Wales and Tasmania saw a decline in their advertisements. Northern Territory sustained the largest fall of 16.5 percent.

The news comes as Australia's Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczcuk reaffirmed her support for the Carmichael mine, coal, and rail project. Indian infrastructure giant Adani Group, which is behind the $16.5 billion project, has said it will create as many as 10,000 direct and indirect jobs for Queenslanders. Electricity generated from the coal mine will also serve more than 100 million people in India.

The project will include the construction of Australia's biggest thermal coal mine, located in the north Galilee Basin. In addition to creating employment opportunities, the project will generate around $22 billion in state mining taxes and royalties in first half of the duration of the project.

"All the regional Mayors and by me being here with them shows very clearly that Queensland support the project in relation to creating jobs for regional Queensland and we know that the energy in supply is needed here to help boost the Indian economy and Queensland is a small part of that,” Palaszczcuk said. “But, I also hope that Queensland can be the larger part when it comes to Solar and Agri-business.”

An investment of $3.3 billion has been made by the Indian conglomerate in the coal mine, railway, and the port project in Australia. It received a final environmental authority for the Carmichael mine project by the Queensland state's department of environment and heritage protection (EHP) last year. The Adani Group has assured that it will comply with the guidelines as set forth in the environmental authority and will not be posing risk to the environment.