Explore Careers - Job Market Report

Underground Production and Development Miners (NOC 8231)

Cape Breton Region

Additional information on Description, Titles, Duties and Related Occupations

Description | Titles | Duties | Related Occupations

Underground production and development miners drill, blast, operate mining machinery, and perform related duties to extract coal and ore in underground mines and to construct tunnels, passageways and shafts to facilitate mining operations. They are employed by coal, metal and non-metallic mineral underground mines and by specialized contractors in mine construction, shaft sinking and tunnelling.

Included Job Titles

blaster – underground mining, chute blaster, diamond driller – underground mining, drift miner, driller – underground mining, faceman/woman – coal mine, hoist operator – underground mining, jumbo drill operator, miner, mining machine operator, mucking machine operator, raise miner, roadheader operator, scooptram operator, shaft inspector, shot firer.

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Job Duties

Underground production and development miners perform some or all of the following duties:

Set up and operate drills and drilling machines to produce a designated pattern of blasting holes
Operate diamond drills or other specialized drills such as raise boring machinery to test geological formations or to produce underground passageways
Set up and operate mining machinery to shear coal, rock or ore from the working face
Load explosives, set fuses, and detonate explosives to produce desired blasting patterns and rock fragmentation in underground mines
Operate scooptram, load-haul-dump (LHD) machine or mucking machine to load and haul ore from stopes, drifts and drawpoints to ore passes
Perform duties required to ensure safety and to support the mining advance, such as scaling loose rock from walls and roof, drilling and installing rock bolts, extending and installing air and water pipes, operating ore loading machinery, inspecting mine shafts, operating hoists that transport people, equipment and materials through mine shafts, and constructing timber supports and cribbing if required
Perform routine maintenance of mining machinery.

Related Occupations

Additional information on included Cities in Region and Service Canada Offices

Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Included Cities in this region

Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Belgiumtown, Bras d'Or, Bridgeport, Caledonia, Centreville Reserve Mines, Dominion, East Slope, Florence, Gannon Road, Glace Bay, Havenside, Hub, Kaneville, Little Bras d'Or, Louisbourg, McKays Corner, McLeods Crossing, Morien Hill, New Aberdeen, New Victoria, New Waterford, North Sydney, Passchendaele, Reserve Mines, Reserve Rows, River Ryan, Scotchtown, Steeles Hill, Sterling, Sydney Mines, Table Head, Tomkinsville

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Service Canada Offices

View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Underground Production and Development Miners in Cape Breton Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

National Outlook – 10-Year Projection (2011-2020)

This section provides labour demand and labour supply projections for this occupation over the 2011-2020 period.

Note: The tables, graphs and middle paragraph shown under this section display updated 2011-2020 projection results. The remaining narrative text (2009-2018 projections) will be updated shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The data in the following table are derived from HRSDC’s Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). COPS uses a variety of models to produce a detailed 10-year labour market projection per broad skill level and per occupation at the national level, which focuses on the trends of labour supply and labour demand over the next ten years.

This occupation (Underground Production and Development Miners) is part of a larger occupational group called Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers (NOC 823).

Table on the demographic profile for your chosen occupation at the national level.
Occupations in this group	Underground Production and Development Miners (8231) Oil and Gas Well Drillers, Servicers, Testers and Related Workers (8232)
Employment (non-student) in 2010	42,234
Median Age of workers in 2010	40
Average Retirement Age in 2010	60

Occupation Projection for Canada

Over the 2008-2010 period, employment in this occupation remained stable, but the unemployment rate increased slightly. However, the average hourly wage grew more quickly than the average for all occupations. According to key labour market indicators, the number of job seekers was sufficient to fill job openings in this occupation.

Over the 2011-2020 period, an occupation will be in excess demand (a shortage of workers) if the projected number of job openings is significantly greater than the projected number of job seekers. An occupation will be in excess supply (a surplus of workers) if the projected number of job openings is smaller than the projected number of job seekers. For Underground Miners, Oil And Gas Drillers And Related Workers, over the 2011-2020 period, job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 22,969 and 22,571 job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill the job openings.

Based on projections and considering that labour supply and demand in this occupation were balanced, it is expected that the number of job seekers will remain sufficient to fill job openings over the 2011-2020 period. Expansion demand will be the main source of job openings over the projection period, although it will be less than that observed over the 2001-2010 period. In fact, during this period, employment grew substantially in the oil and gas industry, which has been in full expansion for several years as a result of global demand and the price of energy products. Significant investments in modernizing current facilities and launching new projects, particularly in the oil sands, contributed to the strong labour demand during this period. However, over the projection period, new job creation will slow down as a result of technological advances in oil sands treatment, which will reduce labour market needs by increasing productivity, and also because of the less rapid growth in international demand for oil. The growing demand for base metals will also stimulate employment growth in this occupation. Several job openings will also result from retirements although the retirement rate is less than the average for all occupations because of the young age of workers in this occupation. In terms of supply, the majority of job seekers will come from the school system. Mobility will also be a very substantial source of job seekers. In fact, a number of workers from other occupations will come to work in this one. This mobility, to the benefit of this occupation, is due to the favourable job prospects and wages in occupations in the oil and gas industry.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.

Table of job opening projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category	Openings	%
Expansion Demand	13,258	58%
Retirements	7,387	32%
Other Replacement Demand	1,255	5%
Emigration	1,068	5%
Projected Job Openings	22,969	100%

Table of job seeker projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category	Seekers	%
School Leavers	11,528	51%
Immigration	338	1%
Other	10,706	47%
Projected Job Seekers	22,571	100%

[ Source: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) ]

In which industry or sector do people in this occupation find jobs in Canada?

This table shows the industry and sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.

This table shows the industry sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.
Industry / Sector	%
Mining and oil and gas extraction	91.20
Manufacturing	5.40

[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are self-employed?

The graph displays the percentage of people in this occupation who are “self-employed”, according to the 2006 Census, in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

As shown in the graph, according to the 2006 Census, 2% of people in this occupation were self-employed, while the average for all occupations was 12%.

The Labour Force Survey also gives us some information about self-employment. This occupation (Underground Production and Development Miners) is part of a larger group called Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers (NOC 823). According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), 25% of workers in this group were self-employed, while the average for all occupations was 16%.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are members of a union?

This occupation (Underground Production and Development Miners) is part of a larger group called Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers (NOC 823). According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), the unionization rate for this group was 40%, while the unionization rate for all occupations was 31%.