Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (NAICS 21): Ontario, 2025
Highlights
- There were 38,000 people employed in Ontario’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas industry, comprising 0.5% of province’s total workforce in 2024.
- Employment in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas industry remained unchanged in 2024.
- Over the 2025-2027 period, the mining, quarrying and oil and gas industry is expected to experience subdued job growth in Ontario.
About the Sector
Composition and importance of the sector
The mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector includes firms that are engaged in the extraction of natural resources such as precious metals, non-metallic minerals, and oil and gas. Additionally, firms engaged in the development of mineral properties and mining operations are included in this sector. The majority of employment in this sector is derived from mining and quarrying, with oil and gas extraction making up a smaller percentage of total employment.
In 2024, the sector employed 38,000 people, comprising of 0.5% of Ontario’s total employment. The sector contributed approximately $7.9 billion to the provincial economy in 2024, accounting for 0.9% of total provincial GDP. Compared to the previous year, GDP increased by 4.2% ($318.4 million).
The mining, quarrying, and oil and gas industry is capital intensive and requires significant long-term investments to remain productive and competitive. In 2024, capital expenditure in Ontario’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector declined by 38.2% (2.0 billion) to reach $3.2 billion.
Ontario is the largest mineral producer in Canada, with $13.7 billion in mineral exploration in 2023. As of 2024, there were currently 36 active mining operations in Ontario – including 18 gold mines, 8 base metal mines (copper, nickel, and cobalt), and various others.
| Oil and Gas Extraction | Mining (except Oil and Gas) and Mix Mining | Support Activities for Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8% | 73% | 19% |
Description of graphic in accessible text
A pie graph that shows the employment breakdown by subsectors in percentages. Mining and quarrying (except oil and gas) accounts for the largest employment share (73%), followed by support activities for mining, and oil and gas extraction (19%). Oil and gas extraction made up the smallest share of employment at 8%.
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Table
Geographical distribution of employment
This industry is particularly prevalent in the Northeast Economic Region (ER) where 51.1% (19,400) of the provincial mining workforce is employed, primarily in metal ore mining. The industry is over-represented in this region, where 7.0% of total employment is in mining – compared to 0.5% for the whole province.
The second largest employment cluster is in the Toronto ER, where 13.9% of employment in this sector is located. The majority of employment in this region is in administrative and executive positions at corporate headquarters in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Northwest ER is the third largest mining cluster in the province and is home to the “Ring of Fire,” where significant mineral deposits have been discovered.
| Ottawa | 1,900 | 5.0% |
| Kingston-Pembroke | n/a | n/a |
| Muskoka-Kawarthas | n/a | n/a |
| Toronto | 5,300 | 13.9% |
| Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie | 1,900 | 5.0% |
| Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula | n/a | n/a |
| London | n/a | n/a |
| Windsor-Sarnia | 1,700 | 4.5% |
| Stratford-Bruce Peninsula | n/a | n/a |
| Northeast | 19,400 | 51.1% |
| Northwest | 4,800 | 12.6% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Table
*Note: total may not sum due to data availability.
Workforce
Workforce characteristics
- This sector mainly employs males, who comprise 82.9% of the workforce. This is notably higher when compared to total employment in the province, where males comprise only 52.8% of the workforce.
- Older workers aged 55 years and over-represented less than a fifth (19.7%) of Ontario’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector workforce in 2024, compared to 21.2% of workers across all industries in Ontario.
- Almost all workers in Ontario’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector are employed full-time. In 2024, full-time employment accounted for 98.2% of total employment in Ontario, compared to 82.4% of total provincial employment.
- The average weekly earnings of workers in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector in Ontario was $2,143 in 2024. This was higher than the provincial average of $1,293 amongst all sectors.
| 83100 Underground production and development miners | 4,785 | 14.7% |
|---|---|---|
| 82020 Supervisors, mining and quarrying | 2,220 | 6.8% |
| 73400 Heavy equipment operators | 1,900 | 5.8% |
| 72400 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 1,455 | 4.5% |
| 73300 Transport truck drivers | 1,270 | 3.9% |
| 84100 Underground mine services and support workers | 1,215 | 3.7% |
| 80010 Managers in natural resources production and fishing | 1,015 | 3.1% |
| 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers | 855 | 2.6% |
| 72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics | 840 | 2.6% |
| 22101 Geological and mineral technologists and technicians | 745 | 2.3% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Table
Note: The NOCs listed make up approximately half of those employed in the sector.
Recent History
The mining, quarrying, and oil and gas sector in Ontario recorded an average employment growth rate of 5.5% between 2020 and 2024. Following a strong increase in 2023, employment in the sector remained unchanged in 2024.
Employment in this industry is strongly influenced by global metal and mineral prices, as these determine capital investment decisions. When prices rise, companies tend to increase spending on projects, which typically drives job growth. While prices and investment surged between 2020 and 2022, recent years have seen a slowdown. Since 2023, many commodity prices have declined, particularly for battery metals like lithium and nickel, while growth in capital expenditure has significantly moderated. This cooling trend has begun to impact employment, with some mines experiencing layoffs and closures.
In 2022, the Ontario Government launched its first Critical Minerals Strategy to better connect Northern Ontario’s mining operations with the province’s manufacturing sector, particularly electric vehicle (EV) and battery production. Ontario’s vast deposits of copper, zinc, lithium, and nickel remain essential for clean energy technologies, especially EV batteries. Over the past two years, this strategy has been strengthened through additional investments, including a $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund to expand in-province refining capacity. Ontario has also introduced a $7 million intake of the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF) to support exploration, development, and commercialization of technologies in areas such as deep mining, mineral recovery, and battery supply chains. These initiatives build on more than $20 million previously invested through CMIF and are complemented by $3.1 billion in funding aimed at enhancing Indigenous participation and ownership in the critical minerals sector.
The economic landscape for the sector is shifting in 2025. Canada’s EV market is experiencing a downturn, with sales falling by over 35% in mid-2025 following the cancellation of various government incentive programs. Furthermore, global price volatility for battery metals, combined with U.S. tariffs on Canadian minerals and automobiles, has added cost pressures and uncertainty for both mining and manufacturing sectors. While government support signals a long-term commitment, the industry faces short-term headwinds such as slower EV adoption, capital availability, and trade disruptions that could temper growth expectations.
| Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 100.0 | 124.5 | 100.4 | 102.3 | 103.0 | 112.5 | 99.6 | 109.4 | 126.0 | 143.4 | 143.4 |
| GDP | 100.0 | 97.6 | 98.7 | 97.3 | 97.3 | 93.8 | 83.2 | 82.1 | 96.3 | 95.9 | 100.0 |
| Capital Expenditure | 100.0 | 127.3 | 132.8 | 124.0 | 146.4 | 150.7 | 146.6 | 195.7 | 307.1 | 316.8 | 195.9 |
Description of graphic in accessible text
This line graph shows changes in three indicators related to Ontario’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas industry over a 10-year period. Employment first peaked in 2015 before dipping slightly in 2020. Since then, it has grown steadily, with employment surpassing 2015 levels by 2022. Sector GDP has remained essential flat between 2014 and 2024, while capital expenditures have increased significantly, particularly between 2021 and 2023.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Table; Statistics Canada, Gross Domestic Product by Industry - Provincial and Territorial (Annual), Table 36-10-0711-01; and Statistics Canada, Capital and repair expenditures, non-residential tangible assets, by industry and geography, Table 34-10-0035-01
* Data are expressed as index where year 2014 = 100%.
Employment Outlooks
Over the 2025-2027 forecast period, employment in Ontario’s mining, quarrying and oil and gas industry is expected to be subdued, as recent trends impact the demand for metallic ore mining, which accounts for most of the sector’s employment in the province.
For one, although global efforts to decarbonize the economy continue to support long-term demand for critical minerals (e.g., copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, and graphite), many of which are mined in Ontario and are essential to clean technologies such as EVs and renewable energy, recent market shifts such as global oversupply and slower EV adoption, have led to a decline in demand and prices. This may help explain the projected decline in mineral exploration activity in Ontario for 2025.
Several large-scale EV and battery manufacturing projects have been delayed or scaled back in 2025. For instance, Honda has postponed its planned $15 billion EV investment by at least two years, citing weakening global demand and a strategic shift toward hybrid vehicles. On a positive note, Vianode, a leading producer of synthetic anode graphite has announced plans to build its first North American facility in St. Thomas, which will expand local capacity for battery material production.
While there have been recent market corrections and delays in EV manufacturing projects, Ontario remains well-positioned for long-term growth due to significant strategic investments in mining and processing capabilities. These include the launch of a $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund aimed at expanding in-province refining capacity and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. In addition, the federal government’s 2025 Budget introduced a $2 billion Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund, which is expected to further support investment in the province’s mining sector.
Furthermore, Canada has committed to significantly increase its NATO defence spending, potentially reaching 5% of its GDP, with a part of this spending to be directed towards developing Canada’s critical mineral deposits and the infrastructure required to bring them to market. Increased federal investment and international partnerships, particularly with the European Union and the United Kingdom, could stimulate medium to long-term exploration, refining, and logistics development in the province.
Key trends affecting the outlook of the mining, quarrying and oil and gas sector
- Continued shift towards decarbonization
- Ongoing large-scale public investments in the mining sector
- Delays in EV battery manufacturing
- Increased defence spending on critical minerals supply chains
For Further Information
Note: In preparing this document, the authors have taken care to provide clients with labour market information that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic, some of the information presented here may have changed since this document was published. Users are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this document does not necessarily reflect official policies of Employment and Social Development Canada.
Portions of this sector profile were prepared with support from artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in accordance with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) guidelines. All AI-assisted content has been reviewed for accuracy and compliance with ESDC standards.
Prepared by: Labour Market and Socio-economic Information Directorate, Service Canada, Ontario Region
For further information, please contact the Labour Market Information Directorate.
Appendix
| 2022-2024 Average | 2022-2024 Average | |
| Ontario | 100.0% | 0.5% |
| Ottawa | 3.4% | 0.2% |
| Kingston-Pembroke | n/a | n/a |
| Muskoka-Kawarthas | n/a | n/a |
| Toronto | 14.1% | 0.1% |
| Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie | 3.2% | 0.1% |
| Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula | 1.5% | 0.1% |
| London | n/a | n/a |
| Windsor-Sarnia | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| Stratford-Bruce Peninsula | 1.7% | 0.4% |
| Northeast | 50.8% | 6.8% |
| Northwest | 11.5% | 4.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Table
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| Employment, 2024 | Share of Total (%) | AAGR (%)* | Share of Total (%) | AAGR (%)* | |
| Employment | 38,000 | 100.0% | 4.4% | 100.0% | 1.8% |
| Male | 31,500 | 82.9% | 4.1% | 52.8% | 1.9% |
| Female | 6,500 | 17.1% | 9.0% | 47.2% | 1.7% |
| 15-24 years old | 3,100 | 8.2% | n/a | 12.6% | 1.0% |
| 25-54 years old | 27,500 | 72.4% | 4.2% | 66.2% | 1.8% |
| 55 years and older | 7,500 | 19.7% | 5.3% | 21.2% | 2.6% |
| Worked full-time | 37,300 | 98.2% | 4.4% | 82.4% | 2.1% |
| Worked part-time | n/a | n/a | n/a | 17.6% | 0.8% |
| Self-employed | n/a | n/a | n/a | 13.5% | 0.9% |
| Employees | 37,000 | 97.4% | 4.3% | 86.5% | 2.0% |
| Permanent job | 37,500 | 98.7% | 3.6% | 77.0% | 2.2% |
| Temporary job | 3,600 | 9.5% | 13.8% | 9.5% | 0.8% |
| Less than high school | n/a | n/a | n/a | 5.8% | -2.0% |
| High school graduate | 8,500 | 22.4% | 5.2% | 16.3% | -0.7% |
| Postsecondary cert. or diploma | 16,300 | 42.9% | 5.2% | 31.3% | 1.3% |
| University degree | 8,900 | 23.4% | 5.4% | 41.7% | 5.1% |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Custom Tables
* Average annual growth rate for last ten years available data