"Very interesting look at a metric I virtually never look at,...

"Very interesting look at a metric I virtually never look at, but no doubt ought to. Not doubting the negatives of that ratios trajectory, but I wonder if automation is playing a role in those numbers, leading to higher skilled staff running more complex equipment."

@MarkieMills,

That doesn't make sense to me.

Automation - by its very nature - should reduce employee costs, not increase it (in classical economic-speak, automation involves labour being substituted by capital).

If spending the capital on automation has the effect of increasing the labour input requirement, then why bother doing it?

No, I think what's happening here is that the management effort is so singularly focused on diversifying away from minerals testing (come hell or high water), that the key operating metrics of the business are not being managed nearly closely enough.