Coal mining industry employment in the United Kingdom (UK) 1920-2023

Once a major powerhouse of the British economy, the coal mining industry was the lifeblood of several regions, providing employment to more than one million workers before the 1930s. Since that time, shifting attitudes towards coal and the emergence of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar have seen coal's role in the UK's energy mix diminish. By 1990, the coal industry was still an employer to some 50,000 people, however from 2016 onwards, this figure had fallen to less than one thousand.

Coal mines in the UK

As of 2023, there were seven UK coal mines left in operation. Of these, one was an opencast site and six were deep mines. The British government has made it clear that phasing out coal is necessary for the country to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The industry is thus set to further contract in the future. 

Coal job cuts globally

The shrinking number of jobs has not been isolated to the UK, with similar coal mining employment reductions in the United States. In some U.S. states, such as Kentucky, coal mining jobs had fallen by more than three quarters in the past ten years. In Australia, where coal mining has traditionally been as strong contributor to the economy, this decreasing trend is also visible.