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Annual Energy Review

September 2012  PDF | previous editions
Release Date: September 27, 2012

Table 7.7 Coal Mining Productivity, 1949-2011 (Short Tons per Employee Hour )
Table 7.7  Coal Mining Productivity, 1949-2011
                     (Short Tons per Employee Hour 1)




Year		 Mining Method Location 



Total 2


Underground

Surface 2		 East of the Mississippi  West of the Mississippi 
Underground Surface 2 Total 2 Underground Surface 2 Total 2
1949 3 0.68 3 1.92 NA NA NA NA NA NA 0.72
1950 3 .72 3 1.96 NA NA NA NA NA NA .76
1951 3 .76 3 2.00 NA NA NA NA NA NA .80
1952 3 .80 3 2.10 NA NA NA NA NA NA .84
1953 3 .88 3 2.22 NA NA NA NA NA NA .93
1954 3 1.00 3 2.48 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.08
1955 3 1.04 3 2.65 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.14
1956 3 1.08 3 2.67 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.19
1957 3 1.11 3 2.73 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.23
1958 3 1.17 3 2.73 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.31
1959 3 1.26 3 2.87 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.43
1960 3 1.33 3 2.91 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.52
1961 3 1.43 3 3.16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.64
1962 3 1.50 3 3.40 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.74
1963 3 1.60 3 3.66 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.87
1964 3 1.72 3 3.76 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.99
1965 3 1.75 3 4.10 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.09
1966 3 1.83 3 4.28 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.23
1967 3 1.88 3 4.48 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.31
1968 3 1.93 3 4.33 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.35
1969 3 1.95 3 4.50 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.41
1970 3 1.72 3 4.53 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.30
1971 3 1.50 3 4.49 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.19
1972 3 1.49 3 4.54 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.18
1973 3 1.46 3 4.58 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.16
1974 3 1.41 3 4.74 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.31
1975 3 1.19 3 3.26 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.81
1976 3 1.14 3 3.25 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.78
1977 3 1.09 3 3.16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.80
1978 3 1.04 3 3.03 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.77
1979 1.13 3.08 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.81
1980 1.20 3.21 NA NA NA NA NA NA 1.93
1981 1.29 3.42 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.10
1982 1.37 3.36 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.11
1983 1.61 3.81 NA NA NA NA NA NA 2.50
1984 1.72 4.03 1.69 2.56 1.98 2.49 8.15 7.07 2.64
1985 1.78 4.24 1.75 2.52 2.00 2.45 8.61 7.40 2.74
1986 2.00 4.60 1.96 2.75 2.21 2.80 9.02 7.90 3.01
1987 2.20 4.98 2.16 2.97 2.42 3.39 9.86 8.73 3.30
1988 2.38 5.32 2.32 2.99 2.54 3.55 10.73 9.38 3.55
1989 2.46 5.61 2.39 3.13 2.63 3.92 11.86 10.21 3.70
1990 2.54 5.94 2.46 3.32 2.73 4.01 12.26 10.41 3.83
1991 2.69 6.38 2.59 3.49 2.86 4.53 12.36 10.79 4.09
1992 2.93 6.59 2.82 3.61 3.07 4.85 12.49 11.03 4.36
1993 2.95 7.23 2.81 3.74 3.11 5.18 13.94 12.14 4.70
1994 3.19 7.67 3.02 3.85 3.28 5.93 15.19 13.22 4.98
1995 3.39 8.48 3.19 4.03 3.45 6.32 16.23 14.18 5.38
1996 3.57 9.05 3.36 4.25 3.63 7.03 17.89 15.66 5.69
1997 3.83 9.46 3.63 4.49 3.89 6.82 18.63 16.04 6.04
1998 3.90 9.58 3.69 4.31 3.89 6.76 18.82 16.27 6.20
1999 3.99 10.39 3.74 4.48 3.97 7.45 19.57 17.18 6.61
2000 4.15 11.01 3.89 4.82 4.18 7.66 20.04 17.62 6.99
2001 4.02 2 10.58 3.71 2 4.53 2 3.98 8.39 2 20.63 2 18.32 2 6.82
2002 3.98 10.36 3.67 4.22 3.86 7.80 20.67 18.06 6.80
2003 4.04 10.75 3.68 4.18 3.85 8.33 21.42 18.67 6.95
2004 3.96 10.55 3.59 3.95 3.72 8.22 22.04 19.00 6.80
2005 3.62 10.03 3.28 3.75 3.44 7.48 21.98 18.50 6.36
2006 3.37 10.18 3.06 3.74 3.29 6.62 22.26 18.33 6.26
2007 3.34 10.24 3.03 3.74 3.27 6.52 22.35 18.23 6.27
2008 3.15 9.81 2.87 3.58 3.12 6.07 21.85 17.77 5.96
2009 2.99 9.22 2.74 3.33 2.94 5.51 19.85 16.15 5.61
2010 R 2.89 R 9.46 R 2.66 3.24 R 2.84 R 5.54 R 20.25 16.60 R 5.55
2011P 2.76 8.86 2.52 3.03 2.68 5.54 19.34 15.98 5.22
1Data through 1973 for bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, and lignite, and data through 1978 for
anthracite, were originally reported in short tons per employee day—these data were converted to short
tons per employee hour by assuming an eight-hour day.  Through 1997, other data were calculated by
dividing total production by total labor hours worked by all mine employees except office workers; beginning
in 1998, the calculation also includes office workers.		 R=Revised.  P=Preliminary.  NA=Not available.  
2Beginning in 2001, includes a small amount of refuse recovery. Web Page:  For related information, see http://www.eia.gov/coal/.
3Through 1978, data for anthracite are not available by mining method, but are included in "Total." Sources:  ·  1949-1975—Bureau of Mines, Minerals Yearbook, "Coal—Bituminous and Lignite" and
"Coal—Pennsylvania Anthracite" chapters.  ·  1976—U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Energy
Data Reports, Coal—Bituminous and Lignite in 1976 and Coal—Pennsylvania Anthracite 1976.  ·  1977
and 1978—EIA, Energy Data Reports, Bituminous Coal and Lignite Production and Mine
Operations—1977; 1978 and Coal—Pennsylvania Anthracite 1977; 1978.  ·  1979—EIA, Energy Data
Report, Coal Production—1979.  ·  1980-1988—EIA, Coal Production, annual reports.  ·  1989-2000—EIA,
Coal Industry Annual, annual reports.  ·  2001-2010—EIA, Annual Coal Report, annual reports.
·  2011—EIA, Form EIA-7A, "Coal Production Report," and U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and
Health Administration, Form 7000-2, "Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report." 
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