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Lithium and other critical minerals projects continue to underpin a stable labour market in the state, while future energy projects – oil, gas and LNG – promise $55.7 billion of total investment for the next five years.

WA’s proposed projects are forecast to require more than 11,000 new workers, according to modelling from the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA).

AREEA’s Resources and Energy Workforce Forecast: 2024-2029 report estimates the labour and operation costs of new, expanded and restarted mining and energy projects scheduled to enter production in the next five years.

Western Australia has 48 resource projects in the pipeline that are likely to require 11,065 employees by 2029. Plant operators are set to be the most in-demand, with management positions and roles in engineering and geology also desired.

Worker numbers will need to grow first before operations can commence, particularly when “WA remains the powerhouse of Australia’s resources and energy industry”, according to AREAA chief executive officer Steve Knott.

“(Western Australia accounts) for 40 per cent of the national forecast workforce growth over the next five years,” Knott said.

Of the 37 mining projects in WA’s pipeline, iron ore is set to spur demand for 2095 workers by the end of 2026 at the Southdown, Western Range and Lake Giles projects.

The Southdown magnetite project will be an open pit mine in WA’s Great Southern Region. With a deposit approximately 12km in length, it promises more than 1.2 billion tonnes of mineral resources, including 388 million tonnes of ore reserves.

The Western Range project in the Pilbara has a production capacity of 25 million tonnes of iron ore per year, while Lake Giles will employ open pit mining methods to develop the Moonshine and Moonshine North deposits.

Elsewhere in the state, seven gold projects are calling for almost 1700 new workers by the end of 2027, while other projects in copper, nickel, cobalt and alumina will require at least 2700 workers.