A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector: Sweden

The report examines the gender profile of Sweden's mining and quarrying industry, which is heavily male-dominated (77% men in 2020). It analyzes sex segregation across occupational levels, the impact of educational pipelines, and the influence of technological advancement on workplace culture. While women's representation has increased in some operational roles, it has decreased in top management. The report also discusses the persistence of 'macho masculinity' and the framing of gender equality as a business case for recruitment and competitiveness.

• The Swedish mining and quarrying industry is strongly male-dominated, with men constituting 77% of the 9,092 employees in 2020, making it the fourth most male-dominated industry in Sweden.
• Gender segregation is prominent across occupational levels; men dominate Craft and related workers (92%), Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers (83%), and Management (79%). The only level dominated by women is Clerical and support workers at 78%.
• Between 2014 and 2019, women's representation increased among Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers from 13% to 17%, but decreased among top managers from 27% to 21%.
• The industry is geographically concentrated in northern Sweden, with 67% of employees living in Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties.
• Educational pipelines show significant sex segregation; men dominate the vocational upper-secondary programs from which the industry primarily recruits, though women's representation in higher education degrees for Science and Engineering, manufacturing, and construction increased from 22% in 1999/2000 to 31% in 2019/20.
• Technological advancements and digitalization have reduced physically strenuous tasks, making mine work more accessible to women, but have also created a cultural divide where 'real' mining is still associated with manual labor and 'macho masculinity'.
• Mining companies like LKAB and Boliden frame gender equality as a 'business case' to improve profitability, innovation, and attractiveness as employers, focusing primarily on recruitment strategies to increase the number of women.
• Health and safety indicators show a significant long-term decline in the lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) from the 1980s to 2010s, though data from 2014-2020 shows a significant increase in work-related illnesses and accidents among women in 2019.

APA

Peltier-Huntley, J., & Johansson, K. (2022). A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector: Sweden. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-sweden.pdf

Chicago

Peltier-Huntley, Jocelyn, and Kristina Johansson. A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector: Sweden. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-sweden.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Peltier-Huntley |first1=Jocelyn |last2=Johansson |first2=Kristina |title=A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector: Sweden |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-sweden.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peltierhuntley2022gendered, author = {Peltier-Huntley, Jocelyn and Johansson, Kristina}, title = {{A Gendered Analysis of Employment and Skills in the Large-Scale Mining Sector: Sweden}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/women-mine-of-the-future-sweden.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }