The coal mining industry in New South Wales (NSW) is experiencing a significant boom, reaching the highest employment numbers since records began in 1998. Coal Services reported a historic high of 25,505 jobs in the sector, more than doubling the count from the first recorded number of 10,898 coal miners.
Stephen Galilee, the chief executive officer of the NSW Minerals Council, emphasized the sector’s resilience and growing importance to the state’s economy and regional communities. “The record number of people working in the NSW coal mining sector underscores its critical role over the past 25 years,” Galilee stated.
This surge in employment is supported by robust coal export figures, which have increased nearly 16%, with thermal coal exports for energy production rising over 19%, reflecting strong global demand for NSW’s high-quality coal.
The largest coal mining region in NSW, the Hunter Valley, accounted for 14,750 of these jobs as of March 2024. Other regions such as Gunnedah and western NSW also reported near-record and record-high employment numbers, respectively. The Gunnedah region maintained 3,116 jobs, while the western region saw a peak with 3,585 coal mining jobs. Meanwhile, the Southern region of NSW also showed growth, with coal mining jobs increasing to 3,344, up by more than a hundred from last year.
This trend highlights the coal industry’s pivotal role in fueling not only energy production but also economic growth and job creation across NSW.
