By the Grand Rapids Herald Review, Jan. 16, 2015
Job seekers from around the state can pursue career opportunities in Minnesota’s vital mining industry and meet potential employers during 3rd Annual Mining Industry Day .This free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm.
After suffering significant job declines during the recession, the mining industry saw huge employment gains in the last five years, gaining 1,450 net new jobs from 2009 to 2013, a 47.6 percent increase. Mining accounted for nearly 40 percent of the region’s total job growth during that time frame. A significant industry in Northeast Minnesota, mining provided 4,582 jobs at 30 firms in the second quarter of 2014, as well as just under $100 million in quarterly payroll according to data from DEED’S Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. Mining accounts for about 3.2 percent of total regional employment and 7.2 percent of total regional payroll, with average weekly wages that were more than double the total of all industries in the region.