Questions from several members prompted analysis of latest AIG Australian Geoscientist Employment Survey data to examine which fields of practice have been affected most by the prolonged downturn in geoscientist employment.

The survey revealed an unemployment rate of 15.9% and under-employment rate of 20.2% amongst geoscientists nationally.  These rates were down from 19.5% and 23.4% respectively in the March quarter 2016 survey.

In the latest survey, the highest rate of unemployment was found to be amongst geoscientists seeking work in energy resource exploration and production (coal, coal seam gas and petroleum) at 20.3%, followed by mineral exploration, the largest geoscientist employment sector in Australia, at 18.7%.

The lowest rate of unemployment was found to affect geoscientists seeking work in engineering, environmental and groundwater resource geoscience at 6.5%.

Unemployment in all geoscience fields exceeded the average for the entire Australian workforce of 5.7% for June 2016.