Abstract: 1. By 2015, the minerals sector will need to employ 70,000 more employees than it currently employs to achieve predicted increases in output. 2. The largest shortages are projected to be in the non-professional occupational classifications with the greatest absolute increases being in tradespersons (26,983 additional employees required) and semi-skilled employees (22,059 additional employees required). 3. Projections of economy-wide employment (an indicator of the potential for supply response) in these non-professional occupational categories indicate that they are likely to be the slowest growing, indicating that the minerals industry will need to attract a greater share of people in these occupational categories. However, the challenge of attracting people to skills shortage professional areas such as mining engineering and metallurgical engineering is also strategically critical. 4. Of the 70,000 additional employees required, almost 42,000 will be required in Western Australia, almost 15,000 in Queensland, and approximately 5,000 in both New South Wales and South Australia. 5. The output projections used indicate the fastest growth between 2006 and 2010. There is therefore the potential for a rapid onset of significant labour shortages. Further, these shortages will continue to worsen as the growth rate of projected labour demand remains above the capacity of the labour market to respond.