2020 Socio-Economic Agreement Report - By the Numbers

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November 25, 2021

The annual Socio-Economic Agreement Report, tabled in the NWT legislative Assembly on Tuesday, provides a summary of data and information on social and economic indicators that have been identified to track potential linkages between the NWT’s three diamond mines and the social health and economic wellbeing of its communities and people.

Socio-Economic Agreement Report

That means that it has a lot of numbers in it – and here are some key ones to take note of.

In 2020, even while heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, mining was the primary industry of the NWT contributing $814.1 million to our territory’s GDP.

Cumulatively, NWT mines have contributed over $23 billion since the mines began operations in 1996. Over $16 billion has been spent with NWT businesses and nearly $7.5 billion with Indigenous-owned NWT businesses.

 In 2020, NWT mines paid $300 million to NWT businesses for goods and services.

Since 1996, the year of the first NWT diamond mine, cumulative employment of NWT residents has reached over 31,000 person-years.  In 2020, the industry employed over 900 NWT person-years.

Meanwhile, all three of the NWT’s diamond mines support and encourage the participation of women in the mining industry.

Women make up 19% of Gahcho Kué’s total employees, 4 per cent above the national average. 17% of Ekati Diamond Mine’s total employees and 14% of Diavik’s total employees are women. In 2020, De Beers Group (Gahcho Kué) awarded 11 scholarships to NWT women pursuing STEM-related fields.

The Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment (ITI) leads the GNWT’s implementation and monitoring of SEAs in partnership with Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and Health and Social Services (HSS).