The state government statistician’s office has released its first detailed analysis of the north west region’s resource industry workforce.

The new non-resident population report looks at the workforce characteristics and place of residence and comes from a survey which included all resource industry companies with existing operations and selected projects in the north west region in June this year.

It notes that there are workers who live in the various local government areas where the mine is located and others who fly-in, fly-out, also called FIFO workers.

The region had a workforce 8,660 strong in the period the vast majority, around 90 percent, employed in metalliferous mining operations and processing.

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Around 70 percent were employees and leaving around 2,510 as contractors. 

More than half the total were employed in the Mount Isa and Burke local government areas. 

Mount Isa is the largest mining LGA. Operations include Mount Isa Mines surface and underground operations and the Lady Annie and Capricorn Copper Mines. 

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Burke shire, sitting to the north of the Mount Isa LGA has Century Mine and the Walford Creek project as tenants. 

There were 2,750 employed in Cloncurry for around 32 percent and another 16 percent or 1,370 employed in McKinlay Shire.

Most of the FIFO staff, around 1,550 workers were carried out of Townsville airport. That accounts for 22 percent of the total. 

Around 18 percent or 1,290 employees and contractors flew out of south east Queensland.