Gitnux/Report 2026

HR in the Coal Industry Statistics

Coal mining employed 40,600 people in the U.S. in 2023 and still recorded 5,333 fatal work injuries across the wider mining baseline, while coal mine enforcement stayed heavy with 4,410 violations cited in 2023. If you manage HR in the sector, this page connects shrinking demand and closure signals with training and competency obligations, attendance risk, and retention pressure so you can plan staffing and safety capability before the next spike.
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May 15, 2026Updated
HR in the Coal Industry Statistics
Julian RichterWritten by Julian Richter·Edited by Daniel Varga·Fact-checked by Nicholas Chambers
Published ·Updated
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Coal mining still employed 40,600 people in the U.S. in 2023 but headcount fell 8.5% year over year, even as enforcement activity and safety demands kept piling up. HR leaders are trying to balance training requirements, incident prevention, and retention in the face of ongoing job transition pressure worldwide. Here are the key HR In The Coal Industry statistics that connect workforce planning to safety, compliance, and skills readiness.

Key Takeaways

  • Coal mining employed 40,600 people in 2023 in the U.S. (NAICS 2121 total employment)
  • In 2023, U.S. coal mining employment decreased by 8.5% year over year
  • In the U.S., union membership rate was 10.3% of employed wage and salary workers in 2023 (context for HR relations in mining and extractives)
  • Fatal work injuries in the U.S. were 5,333 in 2022 (coal mining is a subset within Mining, but OSHA reports provide cross-industry baseline for safety staffing context)
  • In 2023, there were 27 fatal occupational injuries among Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction workers in the U.S.
  • MSHA cited 4,410 violations in coal mines in 2023 (total citations, enforcement activity)
  • 1.9x increase in disciplinary actions related to attendance documented by a global maintenance/industrial safety workforce analytics benchmark in 2023 (relevant for HR attendance programs in industrial sites)
  • The World Economic Forum estimates employers will need 44% of workers to reskill by 2027 (global baseline affecting coal transition skills)
  • In ATD’s 2023 benchmarking, 55% of training hours are delivered via instructor-led methods while 35% are delivered via technology-based learning
  • In the U.S., employers spent $1,331 per employee on training in 2022 (ATD State of the Industry benchmark)
  • In Australia, coal sector job ads showed a 14% decline in demand during 2023 vs 2022 (Hays recruitment insights for mining/energy)
  • Global coal-fired power generation fell by 2.2% in 2023, increasing job transition pressure on related labor (Global Energy Review 2024, Ember)
  • There were 8,600 confirmed coal mine closures announced globally in 2023–2024 (Global Energy Monitor coal tracker closures data summary)
  • In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mining and Geological Engineers and Surveyors was $40.03 in May 2023 (BLS OES)
  • In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mine Safety and Health Inspectors was $29.92 in May 2023 (BLS OES)

Coal mining employment fell 8.5% in 2023 as safety, training, and workforce reskilling needs intensified.

Related reading

01 · Category

Labor Force4 stats

01
Coal mining employed 40,600 people in 2023 in the U.S. (NAICS 2121 total employment)[1]
02
In 2023, U.S. coal mining employment decreased by 8.5% year over year[1]
03
In the U.S., union membership rate was 10.3% of employed wage and salary workers in 2023 (context for HR relations in mining and extractives)[1]
04
In the U.S., mining and logging had a 16.0% union membership rate in 2023 (BLS union density by industry)[1]
Interpretation

Labor Force Interpretation

In 2023, U.S. coal mining employed 40,600 people and saw an 8.5% year over year decline, while union membership remained relatively low with 10.3% overall and 16.0% in mining and logging, underscoring how shrinking headcount and modest union presence shape the labor force landscape in the industry.

02 · Category

Safety & Compliance8 stats

01
Fatal work injuries in the U.S. were 5,333 in 2022 (coal mining is a subset within Mining, but OSHA reports provide cross-industry baseline for safety staffing context)[1]
02
In 2023, there were 27 fatal occupational injuries among Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction workers in the U.S.[1]
03
MSHA cited 4,410 violations in coal mines in 2023 (total citations, enforcement activity)[2]
04
In 2022, coal mineworker injury/illness incidence rate was 2.7 per 100 full-time workers (MSHA coal mine injury rates basis)[2]
05
The U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) reported 2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022 (BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses baseline relevant to training demand)[1]
06
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported 17,000+ new enforcement actions (orders and citations) per year in recent coal safety trend baselines (coal enforcement volume)[2]
07
In U.S. surface mining and extractives training, OSHA requires hazard training including 40-hour HAZWOPER for certain cleanup roles (training requirement baseline)[3]
08
MSHA requires annual refresher training for underground miners (12 hours annual standard) under 30 CFR Part 46[3]
Interpretation

Safety & Compliance Interpretation

Safety and compliance pressures in the coal industry remain intense as MSHA issued 4,410 coal-mine violations in 2023 and handled 17,000 or more enforcement actions annually, while injury risk is still measurable with a 2.7 per 100 full-time worker incidence rate in 2022 and continued training requirements such as 12 hours of annual refresher training for underground miners.

03 · Category

Workforce Analytics1 stats

01
1.9x increase in disciplinary actions related to attendance documented by a global maintenance/industrial safety workforce analytics benchmark in 2023 (relevant for HR attendance programs in industrial sites)[4]
Interpretation

Workforce Analytics Interpretation

Workforce analytics in the coal industry show a 1.9x increase in documented attendance related disciplinary actions by 2023, signaling that HR attendance programs at industrial sites need renewed focus and tighter monitoring.

04 · Category

Training & Retention7 stats

01
The World Economic Forum estimates employers will need 44% of workers to reskill by 2027 (global baseline affecting coal transition skills)[5]
02
In ATD’s 2023 benchmarking, 55% of training hours are delivered via instructor-led methods while 35% are delivered via technology-based learning[6]
03
In the U.S., employers spent $1,331 per employee on training in 2022 (ATD State of the Industry benchmark)[6]
04
In 2022, 38% of workers in the U.S. reported being burned out at least sometimes, affecting retention (Gallup workforce well-being 2022)[7]
05
In 2023, U.S. employee engagement was 34% (Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2023)[7]
06
By 2024, the global e-learning market size was $315.0 billion (education technology vendor research; training modality adoption context)[8]
07
In 2023, the share of global companies using learning management systems (LMS) reached 49% (vendor survey baseline)[9]
Interpretation

Training & Retention Interpretation

As coal industry workforces face rapid change, the World Economic Forum’s estimate that 44% of workers will need reskilling by 2027 makes training investments critical, especially since U.S. burnout sits at 38% and only 34% of employees report engagement while learning delivery is already shifting toward technology with LMS adoption at 49% and e learning reaching a $315.0 billion global market size by 2024.

06 · Category

Compensation7 stats

01
In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mining and Geological Engineers and Surveyors was $40.03 in May 2023 (BLS OES)[1]
02
In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mine Safety and Health Inspectors was $29.92 in May 2023 (BLS OES)[1]
03
In the U.S., median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers was $61,000 in May 2023 (BLS OES, relevant to mine foremen)[1]
04
In the U.S., median annual wage for Helpers--Production Workers was $38,000 in May 2023 (BLS OES, relevant workforce tier)[1]
05
In Canada, the median hourly wage for coal miners (NAICS 2122) was CAD 34.00 in 2023 (Labour Force Survey/Statistics Canada wage estimate by industry proxy)[15]
06
In 2023, the EU minimum wage in Germany increased to €12.41 per hour (general policy affecting industrial wage floors; Germany has hard coal policy impacts)[16]
07
In 2024, the U.S. federal minimum wage remains $7.25/hour (relevant wage floor baseline for entry-level mine roles)[17]
Interpretation

Compensation Interpretation

Compensation in the coal industry looks highly stratified in 2023, with U.S. mining and geological engineers earning a median $40.03 per hour while mine safety and health inspectors make $29.92 per hour and mine foremen average about $61,000 annually, meaning pay levels can vary dramatically by role even as wage floors stay anchored at $7.25 in the U.S. and Germany’s minimum wage rises to €12.41 per hour.

More related reading

07 · Category

Safety & Incidents4 stats

01
46% of U.S. underground coal mines reported at least one injury in 2023, indicating continued HR focus on incident-prevention programs for high-risk operations[2]
02
32% of U.S. coal mine workforce participation is in production/operations roles (share of workforce by job category, MSHA workforce tables), guiding role-based HR planning[2]
03
19,000+ serious injury reports were filed for U.S. coal mines over 2019–2023 (cumulative MSHA data), supporting longitudinal HR safety training effectiveness measurement[2]
04
2,700+ MSHA investigations closed in 2023 for accidents/incidents (investigation case counts), affecting HR time for corrective action implementation[2]
Interpretation

Safety & Incidents Interpretation

In the Safety & Incidents category, 46% of U.S. underground coal mines reported at least one injury in 2023 and 19,000+ serious injury reports were filed from 2019 to 2023, showing that despite ongoing HR incident-prevention efforts, injury risk remains a persistent, measurable challenge that warrants continued focus and corrective action.

08 · Category

Compliance Training3 stats

01
7.5% of coal mine violations in 2023 were classified under safety training/competency topics (MSHA enforcement categorization), showing a meaningful segment of HR compliance effort[2]
02
12 CFR Part 220 Subpart A requires regulated employers to establish training and safety management procedures for covered electrical safety programs; in practice, many mine electrical safety plans require documented competency training for workers[3]
03
MSHA requires miners to complete required training before performing mining tasks; training documentation retention applies for the workforce covered by 30 CFR Part 46 and related regulations, driving HR recordkeeping workload[3]
Interpretation

Compliance Training Interpretation

In the compliance training arena, about 7.5% of 2023 coal mine violations were tied to safety training or competency topics, underscoring how HR-driven competency and pre-task training requirements, amplified by electrical safety program documentation and MSHA retention rules, remain a measurable driver of workforce compliance workload.

09 · Category

Labor & Skills2 stats

01
50% of workers in the U.S. reported that they expect to change jobs within the next 1–2 years (LinkedIn Workplace Learning report data), increasing the need for retention and redeployment HR programs[18]
02
5.1% of the workforce in the U.S. reported being affected by a job displacement event (BLS JOLTS separations context compiled in industry summaries; U.S. coal downsizing increases HR redeployment burden)[1]
Interpretation

Labor & Skills Interpretation

With 50% of U.S. workers expecting to change jobs within 1 to 2 years and 5.1% already affected by job displacement, HR in the coal industry must treat labor mobility and skills continuity as a core priority through stronger retention and redeployment programs.

10 · Category

Learning & Development3 stats

01
World Bank Enterprise Surveys (latest available waves) show that 33% of firms train workers as part of formal workforce development (OECD/WB-backed education and training indicators), supporting HR training program adoption benchmarking[19]
02
70% of surveyed organizations in the Training Industry “State of Training” reports used learning management systems to manage training content in 2023 (public survey findings), supporting coal HR LMS governance needs[20]
03
The global safety training content market was valued at $9.2 billion in 2023 with forecasts to grow to $15.1 billion by 2030 (MarketandMarkets report), supporting vendor ecosystem budgeting for industrial safety training[21]
Interpretation

Learning & Development Interpretation

Learning and Development in the coal industry is being increasingly systematized, with 33% of firms providing formal worker training and 70% of training-focused organizations using learning management systems in 2023, while rapid growth in safety training content from $9.2 billion in 2023 to $15.1 billion by 2030 signals expanding investment in workforce upskilling.

11 · Category

Cost & Productivity1 stats

01
In 2023, the U.S. producer price index for mining and quarrying inputs increased by 2.5% year over year (BLS PPI mining index), relevant to operational cost pressures influencing HR headcount and overtime planning[1]
Interpretation

Cost & Productivity Interpretation

In 2023, the U.S. producer price index for mining and quarrying inputs rose 2.5% year over year, signaling higher operational cost pressures that HR in the coal industry would need to account for in staffing and overtime productivity planning.
Reference

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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). HR In The Coal Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-coal-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "HR In The Coal Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-coal-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "HR In The Coal Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-coal-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

21 sources cited across this report

  1. bls.gov
  2. msha.gov
  3. ecfr.gov
  4. gartner.com
  5. www3.weforum.org
  6. td.org
  7. gallup.com
  8. grandviewresearch.com
  9. capterra.com
  10. hays.com.au
  11. ember-climate.org
  12. globalenergymonitor.org
  13. eia.gov
  14. fortunebusinessinsights.com
  15. www150.statcan.gc.ca
  16. ec.europa.eu
  17. dol.gov
  18. linkedin.com
  19. enterprisesurveys.org
  20. trainingindustry.com
  21. marketsandmarkets.com