The AusIMM’s annual professional employment survey, conducted across its 14,000 members, showed unemployment among local minerals professionals was 12.2%.

Geology professionals were facing the highest level of unemployment at 15.1%.

“Sustained high levels of unemployment are being felt across all minerals professional

disciplines and all Australian states and territories,” AusIMM president Geoff Sharrock said.

“The impacts of cost-cutting in the minerals sector have been particularly broad, deep and sustained.

“There are minerals professionals with many years experience who are struggling to find work.”

The research showed one in 10 minerals professionals were made redundant in 2013-14.

Survey respondents reported strong pressures to work more hours for the same pay (17.5%), accept lower pay or conditions for the same job (16.6%) or accept reduced hours (8.4%).

“The Australian economy relies on minerals professionals to find and develop the resources that will become the mines of the future,” Sharrock said.

“It is distressing to see these highly trained professionals out of work.”

Looking to the future, 49.1% of the AusIMM’s student members were confident they would find work in the minerals sector when they graduated.

More than half of the institute’s members, or 50.8%, also believe there will be fewer professional job opportunities in the coming year.

AusIMM CEO Michael Catchpole said it was clear mining companies were under pressure to drive more value to shareholders and respond to reduced commodity prices.

“AusIMM members understand the need for change in the sector,” he said.

“However, many highly skilled minerals professionals are now unemployed and the sector risks losing their skills.

“As a result we will see long-term adverse impacts on the continued development of Australia’s minerals sector.”

Catchpole said even if professionals found work overseas, their absence diminished the local sector’s ability to continue to innovate and lead the industry.

Sharrock said governments needed to focus on policies that reduced investment barriers and encouraged exploration and innovation.

“As a priority, the Australian government must act to ensure that its skilled migration programs reflect the radically changed minerals employment market that we now see, rather than continuing to rely on two-year-old labour market data,” he said.

“These survey results demonstrate the significant impact that the minerals industry’s adjustments have had on minerals professionals.

“They highlight the risk that the Australian economy could lose further momentum as the professionalism, adaptability and innovation of the economic powerhouse that is Australia’s mining sector is put at risk.”