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)
02
In 2023, U.S. coal mining employment decreased by 8.5% year over year
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)
04
In the U.S., mining and logging had a 16.0% union membership rate in 2023 (BLS union density by industry)
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)
02
In 2023, there were 27 fatal occupational injuries among Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction workers in the U.S.
03
MSHA cited 4,410 violations in coal mines in 2023 (total citations, enforcement activity)
04
In 2022, coal mineworker injury/illness incidence rate was 2.7 per 100 full-time workers (MSHA coal mine injury rates basis)
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)
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)
07
In U.S. surface mining and extractives training, OSHA requires hazard training including 40-hour HAZWOPER for certain cleanup roles (training requirement baseline)
08
MSHA requires annual refresher training for underground miners (12 hours annual standard) under 30 CFR Part 46
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)
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)
02
In ATD’s 2023 benchmarking, 55% of training hours are delivered via instructor-led methods while 35% are delivered via technology-based learning
03
In the U.S., employers spent $1,331per employee on training in 2022 (ATD State of the Industry benchmark)
04
In 2022, 38% of workers in the U.S. reported being burned out at least sometimes, affecting retention (Gallup workforce well-being 2022)
05
In 2023, U.S. employee engagement was 34% (Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2023)
06
By 2024, the global e-learning market size was $315.0 billion (education technology vendor research; training modality adoption context)
07
In 2023, the share of global companies using learning management systems (LMS) reached 49% (vendor survey baseline)
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.
05 · Category
Industry Trends9 stats
01
In Australia, coal sector job ads showed a 14% decline in demand during 2023 vs 2022 (Hays recruitment insights for mining/energy)
02
Global coal-fired power generation fell by 2.2% in 2023, increasing job transition pressure on related labor (Global Energy Review 2024, Ember)
03
There were 8,600 confirmed coal mine closures announced globally in 2023–2024 (Global Energy Monitor coal tracker closures data summary)
04
In the U.S., coal consumption declined by 15.4% in 2023 vs 2022 (EIA)
05
In 2023, U.S. coal production was 602 million short tons (EIA), signaling HR planning for volume-linked employment
06
In 2023, there were 22,000 direct jobs in U.S. coal mining tied to current production levels (EIA/SEIA job linkage estimates)
07
In the EU, coal power generation share was 11.3% in 2023 (Ember, European electricity review)
08
In 2023, Germany’s lignite and coal power generation fell to 14% share of generation (Ember)
09
The global human capital management (HCM) market was $35.5 billion in 2023 (vendor research market sizing)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends in HR within the coal sector, shrinking demand and output are forcing major labor adjustments, with Australia’s job ads down 14% in 2023 versus 2022 and global coal-fired generation slipping 2.2% in 2023 while 8,600 confirmed mine closures were announced globally in 2023 to 2024.
06 · Category
Compensation7 stats
01
In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mining and Geological Engineers and Surveyors was $40.03in May 2023 (BLS OES)
02
In the U.S., the median hourly wage for Mine Safety and Health Inspectors was $29.92in May 2023 (BLS OES)
03
In the U.S., median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers was $61,000in May 2023 (BLS OES, relevant to mine foremen)
04
In the U.S., median annual wage for Helpers--Production Workers was $38,000in May 2023 (BLS OES, relevant workforce tier)
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)
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)
07
In 2024, the U.S. federal minimum wage remains $7.25/hour (relevant wage floor baseline for entry-level mine roles)
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
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
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
04
2,700+ MSHA investigations closed in 2023 for accidents/incidents (investigation case counts), affecting HR time for corrective action implementation
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
49 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)