2016 Reports

Employment from Mining and Agricultural Investments: How Much Myth, How Much Reality?

Cordes, Kaitlin Y.; Östensson, Olle; Toledano, Perrine

The employment potential of investments in extractive industry projects and land acquisitions for agriculture is often touted both by governments and by companies in support of investor-friendly policies and large-scale investments in natural resources. However, many have noted that the number of local jobs created by these investments rarely meets the numbers promised, and the jobs that are created are often low-skill. In order to assess the potential employment impacts of these sectors, and whether and how employment from natural resource investments contributes to sustainable economic development, a more critical look at local employment impacts is needed. To this end, this report aims to clarify the processes and impacts of job creation driven by large-scale mining and agricultural investments, and to suggest how policies can improve employment outcomes.