Hardrock mining, Nevada's oldest major revenue-producing industry, has shaped the state's economic and political history. From the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859 to the 1950s, mining was one of the state's primary sources of jobs.
Today, Nevada is the third largest gold producer in the world behind South Africa and Australia. The discovery of microscopic gold in central Nevada in the 1960s triggered the state's latest Gold Rush. In 2003, Nevada mines produced 82 percent of the nation's gold and 26 percent of its silver.
Polluters Don't Pay
All of that productivity created a wealthy and politically powerful industry. The industry derailed Nevada's first Constitutional Convention in 1863 over a proposal to tax mine property. And since then, despite this high rate of production, metal mining contributes relatively little to the Nevada economy.
For the 18th consecutive year, Nevada is the fastest-growing state in the nation. The state's economic base has shifted from mining to tourism and gaming. Metal mining contributes only 2 percent to the state's Gross State Product (GSP), while tourism and gaming contribute roughly 20 percent.
Jobs
Jobs directly related to hardrock mining comprise less than 1 percent of Nevada's total employment.
The decrease in the number of jobs available within the industry is due primarily to consolidation of mining companies and increased efficiency of technology. By comparison, tourism and gaming jobs comprise roughly 25 percent of the state's total employment. Yet mining remains second only to the gaming industry in power and clout within the state.
|
