Analysis
NAICS 2122 is the 2022 industry group for metal ore mining, part of 212 (Mining (except Oil and Gas)). Census lists 130 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 337 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 41,280 people at an average annual payroll of $105,561 per employee (87th percentile of national industries). 47% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
By establishments it ranks 3rd of the 3 codes at this level within Mining (except Oil and Gas), with 5.5% of them.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 11% and employment rose 17%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
Across its national industries Census lists 130 index entries; typical ones are agglomerates, iron ore, beneficiating, bullion, gold, produced at the mine, blende (zinc) mining and/or beneficiating and antimony concentrates beneficiating.
Its goods appear in 23 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 2601 (iron ores and concentrates, including roasted iron pyrites), 2603 () and 2607 (). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Official definition
This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing mine sites or mining metallic minerals, and establishments primarily engaged in ore dressing and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) operations, such as crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sintering, concentrating, calcining, and leaching. Beneficiating may be performed at mills operated in conjunction with the mines served or at mills, such as custom mills, operated separately.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Index entries (130)
- Agglomerates, iron ore, beneficiating
- Bullion, gold, produced at the mine
- Blende (zinc) mining and/or beneficiating
- Antimony concentrates beneficiating