Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold inc.- Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold inc.- The Phoenix-based company has issued layoff notices to about 1,400
employees since the first part of November. Argus Research analyst Bill Selesky said mining companies have been forced to act as commodity prices
tumble. Selesky said it's difficult to predict how many layoffs will occur but put a ballpark estimate at
10 percent industrywide. "I think
you could lump all miners regardless of what type of mineral they produce and say yes, they're all going to feel it, maybe not so much the gold
miners because that seems to be the only commodity price that's held up very well under the circumstances," he said. The layoffs announced
Wednesday will occur at Freeport McMoRan's Chino mine near Hurley, N.M., where operations will be suspended. A company spokesman said
600 of the
830 jobs will be cut. Previously, it announced more than
800 job cuts at copper mines in Miami, Morenci, Bagdad and Sierrita in Arizona
and a molybdenum mine in Henderson, Colo.
biz.yahoo.com...
Intrawest - Blaming a tough economic climate, resort operator Intrawest Corp. announced companywide job cuts that affect managers and other
employees at some of its Colorado ski areas. Intrawest Corp. this week did not say exactly how many jobs will go at its three owned or operated
Colorado resorts -- Copper Mountain, Steamboat Ski & Resort and Winter Park. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the company employs 22,000
workers during the peak winter season.
www.rockymountainnews.com...
Mining and the tourist industry often employ entire small mountain communities throughout Colorado. I worked at a ski area and most everyone in that
town was in some way attached to that resort. I would say this situation is similar for the mining industry.
I think things could get bad here in Colorado we don't have an industrial base other than mining/drilling. Tourism depends on those from other states
not much security there. Imo Colorado is quite unique in the number of small isolated mountain towns while they individually have low populations
combined we are possibly talking about huge numbers of unemployed rural people without nearby job resources to fall back on. When the major employer
in these communities go out of business the town for the most part dies.
The numbers of Colorado job losses in mining/tourism in no way can compare to the number of job losses nationwide but for Colorado the loss of mining
and tourism imo would be similar to Detroit loosing the Auto Industry.
Mining operations and ski resorts are located in some of the most isolated areas in Colorado and are dependent on the local work force. Tourism
effects us in ways many of you cannot grasp. Our small local grocery store for example during tourist season has better/fresher selections. With the
number of travelers using cell phones and lap tops there has been a great demand for improvements in communications ie. towers, repeaters, wireless
internet service. Which in turn creates other rural supported industries. We got a new hospital and ER. Tourism brings jobs and much needed
improvements to small towns.
Can Denver handle the influx of the homeless unemployed from all these small mountain communities? Remember also Colorado employers hire a great
number of "seasonal" workers. Some ranch hands and ski area/tourism employees are considered "seasonal" and are not included in unemployment
numbers nor are they eligible for unemployment/workers comp benefits.
Ski season is just beginning many summer ranch hands switch over to ski area operations in winter operating heavy equipment, grooming slopes, making
snow etc. we'll have to see how this plays out.