A recent survey has shown a downturn in the amount of people working in the mining industry’s exploration sector, but seemingly no shortage of exploration going on.

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AIMM) conducted a survey of its 3,000 members to find out where employment rates currently sit, and its findings were somewhat concerning.

AIMM claims unemployment for professionals including geologists, engineers and environmental scientists is just below 11 per cent – a figure which seems incredible compared to an unemployment rate of less than two per cent in a similar survey last year.

AIMM Chief Michael Catchpole is alarmed that despite years of pushes and programs to get more professionals set up in the field, so many people are still without work.

“The reasons undoubtedly go to global factors,” Catchpole says.

He believes factors including “a reduction in commodity prices that we started to experience in late 2012, some uncertainly about China's rapid economic development, the change in political leadership in China late last year, and the impact that's going to have,” are what has created the current lack of work for many.

Unemployment in the resources sector is fairly non-discriminatory, it seems.

Catchpole says: “It's certainly true that some of our members affected are recent graduates but it's true right across our professional group at all stages and careers... exploration geologists, mining engineers, metallurgical engineers, environmental scientists, a full range of professions.

“We have members who have been in very senior executive positions in mid tier and major mining companies whose circumstances have changed quite drastically during this twelve month period.”