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Table 52. Underground Coal Mining Productivity by State and Mining Method, 2000
(Short Tons of Coal Produced per Employee per Hour)
Coal-Producing State and Region Continuous1 Conventional2 Longwall3 Other4 Total
Alabama 1.22 - 2.72 - 2.68
Colorado 3.62 - 8.53 5.53 7.84
Illinois 4.28 - 4.33 - 4.30
Indiana 3.28 - - - 3.28
Kentucky Total 3.43 2.60 4.49 1.89 3.51
  Eastern 3.31 2.60 5.11 1.89 3.32
  Western 4.04 - 4.48 - 4.20
Maryland 3.57 - 5.10 - 4.76
Ohio 3.96 - 3.30 - 3.45
Oklahoma 2.52 - - - 2.52
Pennsylvania Total 3.11 .59 5.68 .63 4.97
  Anthracite .64 .59 - .63 .63
  Bituminous 3.25 - 5.68 - 5.12
Tennessee 2.80 - - - 2.80
Utah 3.79 - 8.66 - 7.68
Virginia 2.55 - 7.33 2.08 3.12
West Virginia Total 3.86 3.43 5.22 3.39 4.30
  Northern 3.42 - 5.36 - 4.58
  Southern 3.95 3.43 5.08 3.39 4.18
Wyoming - - 11.60 - 11.60
Appalachian Total5 3.37 2.68 4.67 2.74 3.85
Interior Total5 4.04 - 4.38 - 4.16
Western Total5 3.76 - 8.67 5.53 7.81
East of Miss. River 3.49 2.68 4.62 2.74 3.90
West of Miss. River 3.63 - 8.67 5.53 7.73
U.S. Total 3.52 2.68 5.10 3.57 4.17


1/ Mines that produce greater than 50 percent of coal by continuous mining method.
2/ Mines that produce greater than 50 percent of coal by conventional mining method.
3/ Mines that have any production from longwall mining method.  A typical longwall mining operation uses 80 percent longwall mining and 20 percent continuous mining.
4/ Mines that produce coal using shortwall, scoop loading, hand loading, or other mining methods or a 50/50 percent continuous/conventional split in mining method, or mines that produce less than 10,000 short tons, which are not required to provide data.
5/ For a definition of coal-producing regions, see Appendix C.
       Source: U.S.  Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Form 7000-2, "Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report."
       Notes: For each State, stand alone preparation plant hours are distributed across the mining methods by the proportion of production for all stand alone mines.  Productivity is calculated by dividing total coal production by the total direct labor hours worked by all employees engaged in production, preparation, processing, development, maintenance, repair, shop or yard work at mining operations, including office workers.  Excludes mines producing less than 10,000 short tons of coal during the year, and preparation plants with less than 5,000 employee hours, which are not required to provide data.