Canada's mining sector is running two economies at once. Record demand from the critical minerals race has pushed the industry's unemployment rate to 2.6 percent, even as national unemployment sits near 6.8 percent, and MiHR projects the sector will need 191,000 to 256,000 new workers over the next decade just to keep pace. The talent pool meant to fill that gap is shrinking: two-thirds of young Canadians say they wouldn't consider a mining career at all, largely due to outdated perceptions of the work.
This guide breaks down where the talent gaps are most severe, current compensation and geographic pay benchmarks by role, and what a proactive workforce strategy needs to include to compete in 2026.
