Job prospects Mine Labourer in Northwest Territories

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "mine labourer" in Northwest Territories or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Northwest Territories

The recent trends from the past 3 years were updated on July 25, 2025. The job outlooks over the next 3 years were updated on December 10, 2025.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be Very limited for mine labourers (NOC 85110) in Northwest Territories for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

• Employment prospects for this occupation follow commodity boom-and-bust cycles.
• Uncertainty related to international trade adds volatility to international commodity markets and may lead to fast-paced boom-and-bust cycles in the territory's mining industry over the forecast period, 2025-2027.
• The Northwest Territories' mining sector is predicted to contract over the forecast period due to falling international diamond prices, declining production and closures at the territory's mature diamond mines.
• The Territory's three diamond mines: Diavik, Gahcho Kué, and Ekati, are expected to close by the end of the decade, which will reduce employment opportunities for this occupation. The Ekati Point Lake site shut down in July 2025, leading to hundreds of job losses.
• The Diavik mine is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. The mine offered early voluntary separation to its staff in September 2024.
• Many employees in this occupation are fly-in fly-out workers and reside outside the territory.

Here are some key facts about mine labourers in Northwest Territories:

• Approximately 50 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Mine labourers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (NAICS 21): more than 95%
• 50% of mine labourers work all year, while 50% work only part of the year, compared to 71% and 28% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 39 weeks compared to 44 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 70% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 30% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 30% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 50% compared to 26% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 20% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: n/a
  • bachelor's degree: n/a
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a