1983-2007, Number of Active Underground and Surface Mines (employee hours > 0) by Commodity by Year (Data source: MSHA)
Count
Underground or surface mining operation

Commodity based on CANVASS (recoded) Total
Coal Metal Nonmetal Stone Sand & gravel operator
Surface Year 1983 3315 517 1080 3560 5589 14061
1984 3316 494 1065 3603 5740 14218
1985 3144 459 1063 3730 6084 14480
1986 3043 454 982 3486 6200 14165
1987 2903 467 924 3494 6287 14075
1988 2755 499 903 3552 6415 14124
1989 2622 472 893 3505 6473 13965
1990 2533 427 909 3542 6565 13976
1991 2415 365 850 3519 6563 13712
1992 2236 330 788 3548 6316 13218
1993 2097 309 790 3576 6239 13011
1994 2003 291 772 3543 6199 12808
1995 1857 284 752 3547 6052 12492
1996 1701 268 731 3554 6026 12280
1997 1636 261 738 3608 6201 12444
1998 1578 238 750 3711 6443 12720
1999 1486 228 757 3847 6783 13101
2000 1350 209 774 3995 7046 13374
2001 1363 200 741 4167 7131 13602
2002 1350 188 720 4190 7125 13573
2003 1323 184 691 4236 7070 13504
2004 1365 177 695 4276 7074 13587
2005 1389 186 694 4364 7111 13744
2006 1438 188 695 4451 7178 13950
2007 1399 181 677 4526 7199 13982
Total 51617 7876 20434 95130 163109 338166
Underground Year 1983 2181 423 95 120
2819
1984 2222 347 92 115
2776
1985 2112 291 93 112
2608
1986 2072 257 89 113
2531
1987 2015 255 76 111
2457
1988 1919 247 81 111
2358
1989 1792 236 77 109
2214
1990 1787 213 74 108
2182
1991 1610 168 69 108
1955
1992 1467 139 67 106
1779
1993 1332 120 62 105
1619
1994 1265 122 63 103
1553
1995 1089 119 57 102
1367
1996 988 113 50 101
1252
1997 973 113 48 104
1238
1998 915 105 51 111
1182
1999 820 106 51 115
1092
2000 774 100 47 118
1039
2001 781 81 44 115
1021
2002 715 68 43 121
947
2003 649 74 43 121
887
2004 646 74 46 125
891
2005 674 77 45 126
922
2006 675 92 46 122
935
2007 631 97 48 113
889
Total 32104 4037 1557 2815
40513

Page last updated: April 17, 2009
Page last reviewed: March 30, 2009
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Division