Average U.S. coal mining productivity increases as production falls

U.S. Energy Information Administration --------- Coal mining productivity in the United States increased 26% over the past five years, reaching 6.8 tons per miner hour in 2017, up from 5.4 tons per miner hour in 2012, according to EIA’s Annual Coal Report and data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Coal productivity ranges significantly across production regions, with productivity in the Powder River Basin far exceeding productivity in the Interior and Appalachian regions.U.S. coal mining productivity has increased despite mine closings and decreasing employment and production. Technology and process improvements have contributed to the increase in productivity, but a larger factor is the distribution of productivity across mines. The mines that are first to close during market downturns are often the ones with higher production costs and lower productivity, while more productive mines remain operating, increasing overall productivity. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.