The recent mining boom in Western Australia has contributed to massive economic growth at both the state and national levels. However, the benefits of this economic growth have not been experienced equally by all mining communities across the state. Looking at a cross-section of 33 small mining towns across Western Australia, we explore how explore how local competitiveness and economic structure have contributed to changes in employment levels. Using a shift-share technique, we test the significance of these factor relative to the state.  We then consider other possible contributing factors and discuss the implications of the results for regional policy.