During the first 8 years (construction and ramp-up to full production) the Southey Project is anticipated to create 24,560 person-years of employment and $2.1 billion in new wages and salaries within Saskatchewan. It is anticipated that the peak workforce during construction will be 2200. For each year of operation (next 57 to 92 years) the Southey Project is anticipated to create 1,041 positions and $70 million in wages and salaries in Saskatchewan. During operation it is estimated that 350 to 400 full-time employees would be required to run the mine.In 2012, Saskatchewan’s potash industry was estimated to employ 6,832 people. The top ten occupations (2015 to 2025) predicted by the Conference Board of Canada in the resource extraction section in Saskatchewan are:
- underground production and development miners,
- construction millwrights and industrial mechanics,
- supervisors, mining and quarrying,
- industrial electricians,
- heavy-duty equipment mechanics,
- managers in natural resources production and fishing,
- welders and related machine operators,
- heavy equipment operators (except crane),
- mine labourers, and
- mining engineers.
As a solution mine, the Southey Project will not require any underground production and development miners; however, they will require employees/contractors from all of the other categories listed. During construction there will be a high demand for trades people and labourers, such as carpenters, electricians, welders, concrete workers, equipment operators, pipe fitters, and sheet metal workers. During operations the types of positions required will include: millwrights, process engineers, electricians, mechanics, and drillers, as well as security, health and safety, and environmental personnel.