According to the latest official report, the number of companies comprising the mining productive framework reached 1,102 by the analysis period, last September. This figure represents a 3.3% increase compared to the same period of the previous year and reflects a greater momentum in mining activity in the country.

By Panorama Minero

The sector of application rocks led the number of companies with 33.7%, closely followed by services and activities related to mining, which represented 32.6%. In third place was the sector of production of previously unclassified minerals, accounting for 18.2% of the total, followed by the production of non-metallic minerals, which contributed with 7.6%.

Meanwhile, the mining sector of metallic production represented 5.3% of the companies but generated 28.1% of the total jobs in the sector. Although the number of companies in this sector experienced a year-on-year growth of 1.8%, most of the employment is concentrated in just 11 companies, which have an average of 877 employees each.

Regarding lithium production, 0.9% of the companies are dedicated to this activity, with four companies representing the vast majority of jobs in the sector, averaging 676 employees each.

On the other hand, the sectors of lithium exploration and financing and metallic mining represented 0.8% and 0.6% of the total companies respectively, each with an average of 172 and 187 employees.

Finally, the sector of production of fuel minerals was represented by only 3 companies, but these had an average of 746 employees each, reflecting the high demand for labor in this specific sector.