Trump Vowed to Save Coal, Now Miners Are Getting Laid Off
- More workers are digging up fewer tons of coal this year
- ‘It’s highly likely there will be more layoffs’ union says
A miner walks next to mantrip shuttle tracks at a mine in West Virginia.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The clearest sign yet that America’s Coal County is headed for widespread job cuts: The amount of coal being produced per U.S. miner is at the lowest level in eight years.
Productivity has slid 11% this year alone. The last time it was this low was in 2011, when coal companies ended up cutting almost half their workers in a downturn that lasted more than four years.