WASHINGTON, DC — If you ring up the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and ask how many coal jobs there are remaining in the United States, they will invariably tell you there are about 53,000. However, independent studies show this number to be ridiculously low.
The argument is also that the coal industry has become relatively insignificant economically, with U.S. coal industry employment declining from a half-million in 1950 to currently only about fifty-three thousand. Critics of the industry argue it employs fewer workers than Wendy’s restaurants.
However, this study finds that coal-dependent jobs in the U.S. are, in reality, eight times larger than the 53,000 jobs estimate and total approximately 420,000 — hardly any decline at all in the number of people working directly and in support roles for the industry.
This number represents a more accurate estimate of the jobs impact of the coal industry in the U.S. Further, these jobs are disproportionately concentrated in specific regions, such as Appalachia and in a number of states and communities, where they comprise some of the highest paying jobs available.
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