<P> Mining contributes about 5.6% of Australia's Gross Domestic Product . This is up from only 2.6% in 1950, but down from over 10% at the time of federation in 1901 . In contrast, mineral exports contribute around 35% of Australia's exports . Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal (35% of international trade), iron ore, lead, diamonds, rutile, zinc and zirconium, second largest of gold and uranium, and third largest of aluminium . Japan was the major purchaser of Australian mineral exports in the mid-1990s . </P> <P> Of the developed countries, perhaps only Canada and Norway have mining as such a significant part of the economy; for comparison, in Canada mining represents about 3.6% of the Canadian economy and 32% of exports, and in Norway mining, dominated by petroleum, represents about 19% of GDP and 46% of exports . By comparison, in the United States mining represents only about 1.6% of GDP . </P> <P> Despite its export importance, the mining sector employs only a small proportion of the workforce--roughly 129,000 Australians, representing only about 2.2% of the total labour force . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (December 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How many jobs does mining provide in australia